The Gentle Way
by PhillyLameSauce
Summary: Naruto meets with a mysterious man, named Judo, who ends up teaching him things about life, family and being a shinobi that will change him forever. Judo hides a terrible secret, however, and Naruto hopes he can help. NaruHina, Love, Action, not to graphi
1. Chapter 1

A light drizzle had formed above the two figures. One lifted his face to the sky and let the rain cool him.

"It's such a beautiful afternoon." He stated, then faced the other figure. "Please don't make me kill you, Joriu-san."

The other man, Joriu, shifted his weight. "You know the rules of our organization, Judo. We disbanded for a reason. Now that we're here, right now, only one of us can walk away."

Judo let out a sigh. The rain picked up a bit, and his _gi _was becoming soaked through. He rested his left hand on the sheathe of the _katana_ in his _obi._

"If it must come to this…" Judo started.

"It must. I'm sorry, old friend." Joriu responded. He quickly formed three hand seals, shouting out the name of the jutsu as it took its effect.

"_Shodan Kousoku!_" Judo recognized it as the beginning of Joriu's attack sequence, the First level speed technique. He watched as Joriu sped towards him, as he predicted, and started forming hand seals at lightning speed.

"_Kenjutsu Ougi-Battojutsu!" _Joriu called as he neared, pooling his charka to his sword and drawing it quickly in a slashing motion. He felt the blade cut effortlessly, piercing the _gi _and flesh of his friend Judo. As the technique completed, Judo wore an expression of shock, as he felt his torso being separated from hip to shoulder. Joriu felt both angst and relief that such a move had worked on someone so experienced as Judo.

"_Dochuu Engyou no Jutsu!_" Joriu heard a voice call from nowhere. His brain worked frantically to figure out what had happened, and even as the form of Judo turned into a chunk of wood, a slash across his back made him painfully aware of his error.

"_Sangeki Hissatu Waza- Igeki!"_ Judo's voice sounded as he popped up from the earth, slashing his opponents back with his katana. Joriu reacted to the sudden pain, turning in an attempt to score a slash at Judo's neck. Judo dropped his sword low and backed away slightly, just out of the sword tips reach. Joriu felt himself become overbalanced, and tried to bring his sword back in defense of the coming attack, but it was to late. Judo darted in and grabbed the lapel of Joriu's _gi_. He sunk his hips in and turned, pulling Joriu over his shoulder effortlessly with one hand. Joriu landed hard, the air blasted from his lungs. As he struggled to defend himself, he felt the blade of Judo's katana slash him from hip to shoulder.

"_Sangeki Hissatu Waza-Nigeki."_ Judo muttered, his technique almost complete. Joriu finally recognized it as the Three-Hit Kill technique, a technique that takes a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master. It was no surprise that Judo would use it to finish his opponent. Joriu laughed despite himself.

"Earth displacement technique combined with the Three-Hit Kill…" Joriu coughed.

"I'm sorry to put you through so much pain, my friend. I wish that you had simply walked away." Judo replied. Joriu couldn't tell if Judo was crying, or if was just the rain.

"No, my friend…I would rather die at your hands, than at the hands of some _Jounin_ that thinks he knows it all. Ninjutsu isn't what it used to be, and I would loathe finding myself perished before someone who was more lucky that skilled." Joriu coughed again. Judo's second cut was deep, and he was finding it increasingly hard to keep air in his lungs.

"My knowledge…is hidden in the country of Fire….in the village of Konoha. Please, my dying wish…is for you to learn what I could not." Joriu spat. Judo felt his heart sink for his friend.

"I will honor your wish, Joriu-sama." Judo said, releasing Joriu's _gi _and letting him rest on the ground. Judo placed his sword in the third position, readying the killing blow.

"The strongest way…" Joriu started, closing his eyes.

"_Sangeki Hissatu Waza-Sangeki!"_ Judo exclaimed, beheading Joriu. Once he was done, Judo knelt, clutching the bloody corpse of his dearest friend to him.

"…is the Gentle Way." Judo finished the saying. Judo hugged the corpse of Joriu one last time, then stood. With tears in his eyes mixing with the stinging rain, he formed a hand seal.

"_Doton: Yomi Numa!"_ he exclaimed, and the earth around Joriu turned into a swamp. Joriu's body sank slowly, until nothing was left except the rough-formed swamp. Judo cancelled the technique, assuring himself that his long time friend was finally at rest. Judo cleaned the blood off his blade, and headed on the quickest route he knew towards Konoha.

_Konoha: 2 months later._

Uzimaki Naruto stretched as he took in the summer morning air. The sun had barely begun to rise, but he spied Maito Gai and his protégé Rock Lee already doing their morning routine of one hundred laps around the Village of Konoha. He admired their dedication, but laughed at the way they did things. He did have to admit that Rock Lee is a very difficult opponent, even though he can use next to no Ninjutsu. The sound of Maito Gai's cadence reached his ears, and he laughed both at the lyrics and at the real reason he was awake. Ero-sennin had been away for some time, but before he left he promised Naruto that he would treat him to ramen if he passed the Chuunin exams, which had happened last week. Naruto had passed with flying colors, and now it was a matter of making Ero-sennin keep his promise. The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, and he had hatched a plan to corner Jiraya in her office, so that he had no choice but to treat him to ramen. Tsunade-sama had told Naruto that Jiraya usually checks in with information early in the morning, then darts off to go peek at the ladies in the hot springs. Naruto tightened his headband, which proudly displayed the symbol of Konoha village on it. Concentrating charka to his feet, he leap from the roof of his home onto an adjacent rooftop, stopping only to plot his next jump. He bounded his way to the Hokage's Office in the center of Konoha, spotting a single lamp lit in the window, the signal that Jiraya was present. Naruto made his way around to the public entrance, as Jiraya was fond of entering through the window. He landed in the doorway, and crept silently to the door of Tsunade's office. He waited for a moment, eavesdropping on the conversation.

"…which is why it seems that there is not much we can do, Tsunade." He heard Jiraya say. It was unlike Ero-sennin to sound so negative, so Naruto waited on his entrance to listen more. After all, information gathering was one of the basic tenants of being a ninja.

"As much as I hate to admit it, you're right, Jiraya. Between Akatsuki constantly replenishing their ranks, and Sasuke's Snake squad prowling near Konoha looking for any remnants of the Uchiha clan, we're pretty much under house arrest in our own village." Tsunade's voice said.

_Sasuke,_ Naruto thought. The Last of the Uchiha had garnered the reputation of "The Betrayer" among the elite of Konoha, and a large price was on his head. Naruto had encountered him twice since he went rogue, and both times he was unable to finish the job. Even in the form of the Nine-Tailed Fox, he fell just short of capturing Sasuke. His cronies were more a nuisance than a real threat, and now more than ever, Naruto had seen the similarities between Sasuke and Orochimaru, his former master. Sasuke's drive to learn lethal high-level and even forbidden jutsus had pushed him near the brink of sanity, and Naruto wanted more than anyone to bring Sasuke in, and kill him if needs be. Twice Naruto had confronted Sasuke in the manner of friendship, and both times it dissolved into a knock-down, drag-out fight that left both Sasuke and Naruto drained.

"The last mission I sent out was intercepted by two more Akatsuki members, and though they all returned, their mission was basically a failure. There's only three more Jinchuriki left in the world, and one of them resides in this village."

Naruto heard Tsunade's chair creak, and the was either leaning back or standing up.

"Naruto needs training now more than ever, Jiraya. I appreciate what you've done for the village, but the basics that you taught Naruto during his stay with you aren't going to cut it. Kakashi has tried to teach him the ways of the elements, and bless him, he succeeded, but it takes a terrible toll on the boy. He needs you." Tsunade sounded like she was almost begging. Naruto could feel the tension, and decided that now would be a good time to interefere. He burst through the door, smiling widely and surprising both Tsunade and Jiraya.

"Yes, this student needs you to treat him to ramen, because he's a full fledged Chuunin now!" he boasted, posing in front of the door and cutting off any escape for Jiraya.

Jiraya sighed. "Did I really promise that?" he asked, looking around.

"You sure did. You said that since I had to train myself 'cuz you wouldn't be here for the Chuunin exams, that you would treat me to Ramen! Now man up!" Naruto pointed directly at Ero-sennin's face.

"But the ramen shop you like isn't open for another two hours." Jiraya pointed out. Naruto considered this, looking at Tsunade, who was eyeing the both of them.

"Well, then you can train me until then." Naruto said confidently. Jiraya shook his head.

"I still have things to discuss with the Hokage, this time without you eavesdropping." Jiraya added harshly. Naruto buckled for a second, then regained his composure.

"Fine, then I'll go train myself. And I'll meet you at Ichiru Ramen in two hours. Deal?" Naruto asked.

"Fine, fine, deal." Jiraya admitted.

"Bet the frogs?" Naruto inquired. 'Bet the Frogs' was a term that he used on Ero-sennin so make sure he would keep his promise. Jiraya winced every time he used the expression, and this time was no exception.

"Yeah, bet the frogs I'll be there. Maybe a little late." Jiraya promised.

"Deal! See you in two hours, Ero-sennin!" Naruto sprinted from the room, leaving both Jiraya and Tsunade smiling.


	2. The Gentle WayChp 2

Outside, the warmth of the day greeted him. From the Hokage's Office rooftop, Naruto could see almost all of the village, save for the very front gate. He bounded around for a bit, spying Shikamaru and Temari as they walked through the near empty streets. Temari had been spending a lot of time in Konoha as of late, and Naruto was sure they were on a date, however neither one would admit it. He leapt across a few more rooftops, eventually coming to the Hyuuga household. He watched as Hinata and Neji sparred in the courtyard, under the supervision of Hyuuga Hiashi, the head of the main family and Hinata's father. Naruto remembered Jiraya saying unkind words about the Hyuuga family, but as far as he was concerned Hinata and Neji were alright in his book. He watched the two siblings spar for a few moments, noticing that Hinata's technique had become better. Neji eventually won out, however, and Naruto leapt away, not wanting to sit and be angered by another one of Hiashi's scoldings. He scouted around a bit more, eventually finding Sakura sitting on a bench near the Main Gate. He leapt down and approached her.

"Good morning, Sakura-chan!" He said cheerily. Sakura looked up and managed a half-smile.

"Hey Naruto. You're up early." She said.

"Ero-sennin is supposed to treat me to ramen since I'm 'officially' a chuunin now. I'm just waiting for the shop to open up." Naruto's cheery attitude rubbed off on Sakura a bit, and she was happy for him.

"Why are you out here all by yourself?" Naruto finally asked, noting Sakura's unusual silence.

Sakura patted the bench she was sitting on. It looked like she was going to cry.

"It's been….4 years now. Since that day. And even through all the trials and tribulations, through all the blood and tears, I still….I still blame myself for him leaving." Sakura choked out. Naruto knew immediately that she was talking about Sasuke. He walked over and, not knowing quite what to do, place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I keep telling myself that if I had been stronger, or even just smarter, I could have alerted someone to him leaving. Instead, I let him walk away. And now, he's so close…so close to being back with us…with _me_…that it's almost like someone's mocking me." Sakura broke down and started sobbing, burying her face into Naruto's jacket. Naruto hugged her as closely as he dared. Even though Naruto, too, wanted Sasuke back, he wanted Sakura to be happy more than anything. It was obvious that her love of Sasuke wouldn't die, despite the number of Konoha shinobi he's killed, despite sending both Naruto and Sakura to the hospital on more than one occasion. Naruto wanted Sasuke dead, but for Sakura's sake, he would settle for alive.

They sat on the bench for a moment, Sakura's crying turning into gentle sobs. Naruto searched for something to say, something to capitalize on the moment. Sakura pulled away from Naruto before he could speak, however.

"I…I must be getting to Tsunade-sama's office. I'll catch up with you later, Naruto." She stood, wiping away her tears and smiling gratefully at Naruto, who was still struggling with words.

"Enjoy your ramen." She said, patting his shoulder and walking away. As she rounded the corner and out of sight, Naruto let out a sigh.

_Way to blow it again, Naruto._ He told himself. He sat for a moment, replaying the events in his mind. At last, frustrated, he stood and began making his way towards the front gate, still angry with himself. As he exited the gate, waving to the guards stationed there, he heard someone trying to get his attention.

"Excuse, me, young man." A voice said. Naruto turned, slightly puzzled. Where there was no one a moment ago, a well built man wearing a straw hat and carrying a travel sack was approaching him. As he neared, Naruto spotted the _katana _that most samurai carried around the rough parts of the country. Naruto immediately suspected something, and reached for a kunai.

"Oh, no, my son, I mean you no harm. These are just for protection, that's all." The man assured him, noting the defensive stance Naruto had taken up.

"What can I help you with?" Naruto asked, keeping his hand on the kunai.

"Have you lived here your whole life?" the man asked, stopping about 10 feet shy of Naruto. Naruto could smell the weather off the man's _gi _and _hakama_. They had both seen better days, by the looks of it.

"Most of it. Why?"

"Have you ever heard of a man named Joriu living here?"

Naruto shook his head. "If you looking for someone, check the village registry. Mostly every one who lives or has lived here would be in there. It's in the Hokage's office."

"Many thanks, young shinobi." The man bowed politely and smiled, prompting Naruto to smile back. Once the man turned to go about his business, Naruto leapt up into a tree and was off.

Judo glanced back in time to see the young blonde-haired boy leaping off into the forest. There was no doubt in his mind, the power that lied within the boy was the same power he had fought many, many years ago. The Kyuubi was a horrible creature, wanting nothing more than to destroy everything and sow chaos among the realm. Judo was a young shinobi when his organization was ordered to combat the Kyuubi, and even at their peak strength they were just barely able to banish it. And here it was again, some 300 years later, residing in the blonde-haired kid. Judo decided that he would keep an eye on him while he was in Konoha. Even though the boy showed no outward signs of maliciousness, the Kyuubi was a tricky being. Judo turned back to the village of Konoha, quickly thinking of a plan to move about inconspicuously in a hornet's nest of shinobi. He suppressed his charka, making it about the same level as a generic villager, and advanced on the guards. With any luck, he could be in and out before his ruse was discovered.

_Great Forest, an hour later._

Naruto ducked an incoming strike, rolling backwards to avoid a possible second attack and to put distance between himself and his opponent. His opponent, Lee, didn't press the attack, opting instead to remain in his _Gouken_ stance while his master, Maito Gai, coached from the sidelines.

"Go, Lee! Use your passion of youth to achieve victory!" Gai shouted, pumping his fist energetically.

"Yes, sir!" Lee responded, charging at Naruto.

"_Konoha Senpuu!" _Lee shouted, leaping into the air and throwing a spinning kick at Naruto. Naruto rolled to the side, springing to his feet as Lee advanced on him again.

"_Renzuki!"_ Lee shouted again, throwing a dizzying array of punches and kicks. Naruto dodged and blocked what he could, feeling a few blows slip past his guard. A spinning back kick sent Naruto stumbling away.

"You've seem to have gotten soft, Naruto-kun." Lee said smugly. Naruto recovered, dusting himself off and facing Lee.

"Hey, I had to let you hit me at least one good time, otherwise Gai-sensei might punish you for being to slow." Naruto shot back, forming a hand seal.

"Now, we kick it up a notch. _Kage Bushin no Jutsu!_" Immediately after Naruto uttered the words to his jutsu, several shadow clones appeared around him. Naruto ordered the attack, and Lee was suddenly pressed from all sides. He dodged and countered furiously, each clone he struck disappearing in a puff of smoke. The blows they landed were few put powerful enough for Lee to feel the pain, and soon he became sweat soaked and winded.

"That's enough!" Gai shouted from the sidelines, and all the action stopped. Naruto's shadow clones began a domino-effect of disappearing, until only Naruto remained, within arms reach of Lee.

"You were fighting the whole time?" Lee asked, trying to catch his breath. He resisted the urge to rest his hands on his knees in front of his master.

"Ero-sennin taught me that the easiest way to find an opening on an opponent is to distract him with more than he can handle comfortably." Naruto smiled as he explained.

"That's a good lesson." Lee admitted, straightening up and flashing the thumbs-up sign. "I always enjoy having you as a sparring partner, Naruto-kun!" he exclaimed. "Going to join us on our marathon run back to Konoha?"

"No, I'll get going ahead of you. Ero-sennin said he'd treat me to Ichiraku this morning and I don't wanna miss it!" Naruto answered. "See ya around!" Naruto waved, then leapt up into the trees and was gone from sight in a flash.

"Come, Lee! We'll beat Naruto back to the village on foot!" Gai shouted, sprinting off quickly.

"Yes, master!" Lee shouted, hurrying to catch up.


	3. The Gentle WayCh3

_Hokage's Office_

"Are you sure that you're okay to do this mission, Sakura?" Tsunade asked. There was very few shinobi whose feelings she cared about, but Sakura rated among them. As a _kunoichi _that had trained directly under her, Tsunade was in tune with her pupil's emotions. Sakura had come to the office a wreck, and as the mission was explained to her, her emotional state had not improved. Tsunade was the Hokage, but she did not want to send one of her favored pupils out on a mission if her head was not 'in the game' so to speak.

"I'm fine, Tsunade-sama. I can handle this mission, even if Naruto has to accompany me." Sakura joked, drawing a short laugh from both Tsunade and Shizune, who always happened to be in the room during their briefings. While Sakura felt that Shizune tolerated her existence, she was positive that she would prove the better if it came down to it.

"While he may serve mostly as the comedic relief of your team, he's still one of the strongest shinobi we have. Even without the Kyuubi within him, he would still be quite an opponent to deal with. And since Sai has gone missing…" Tsunade stated. Sakura instantly had a flashback to the night in which she and Sai had been 'on a date'. While he was socially inept, he shared several traits with Sasuke, and Sakura believed that she could use Sai to forget about her obsession with Sasuke. It had worked right up until she called out Sasuke's name during one of their more 'intimate' moments, and though she tried to explain to him the logic behind her slip, he remained enigmatic and elusive since, showing himself more to Naruto than anyone else. Sakura wished she could take the night back, and at the same time, she was glad that the night had turned out as it did.

"…which is why you and Naruto need to meet Kakashi at the rendevous point." Tsunade's voice interrupted her day-dreaming. Sakura flushed for a second, thinking of something to say that would fill in the gaps she was missing.

"Why do I need to bring Naruto with me, as opposed to, say…Shikamaru?" Sakura asked, tuning back into the conversation. She knew deep down that Naruto would gladly give his life for her, and without question, whereas Shikamaru would sacrifice her to find the weakness in the enemy.

Tsunade sighed. "Sakura, have you been daydreaming? Naruto needs to go with you _because_ you and he are a part of Team Kakashi, and he's currently investigating the strange battle site that occurred about a mile south of the village. He specifically requested you and Naruto, and more importantly, I can rely on you and Naruto to report to me unbiased. There are too many people that want my position, and if they gain even a _modicum_ of information over me, then I am at their mercy. Would you want that?" Tsunade's eyes met with Sakura, and immediately she knew the severity of the situation. Sai's former master was but one of thousands of people that despised Tsunade for being the Hokage. Even though Sai had been 'missing in action' for quite some time, that didn't stop the plethora of other shinobi that wanted Tsunade's position from doing what they could to usurp her. Sakura was determined to see Tsunade's reign through until her death.

"Understood, master. I'll find Naruto as soon as I can and we'll be off." Sakura declared, bowing slightly.

"He should be at Ichiraku Ramen shop, assuming Jiraya didn't reneg on his promise." Tsunade stated. Sakura let the thought run through her mind. It _would_ be quite a surprise if Jiraya actually treated Naruto to ramen instead of peeking at the women's hot springs.

"I'll check there first, and fill him in as necessary." Sakura bowed respectfully. She moved from the room, closing the door and making her way down the hall.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Tsunade-sama." Shizune stated. While Shizune was the first that trained under Tsunade, and was in fact blood related, Shizune acted more as a bodyguard than a field operative, which was what Tsunade needed at the moment.

"Patience, Shizune. Sakura has never failed me in the past, and neither has Naruto, for that matter. While he may be smug and sarcastic, he's still loyal. If nothing can be derived from either of them, then I promise that I'll send your team out. But for now, let us wait until they return, shall we?" Tsunade reclined as much as she could in her chair. It was one of those days where she could see herself completely intoxicated off of _sake_ with Jiraya by about 4 pm. She entertained the thought for a while, until Shizune interrupted her.

"What if this is an ambush set up by Akatsuki to trap Naruto and pull the Kyuubi from him? It was hardly an elaborate setup that drew Gaara-sama out of his protective shell." She argued. Tsunade's look changed from entertained to enraged.

"That's _Kazekage _to you, and the rest of us, with exception of Naruto, Shizune. And all that Gaara-sama was doing was protecting what he felt was important, the same that you, me, or Naruto would do without even a moment's hesitation." Tsunade snapped. Shizune lowered her eyes, shrugging off the harshness as simply a part of her job, being an advisor to the Hokage.

"Very well, Tsunade-sama. But what do you have in place in case it is indeed an ambush?" Shizune asked, not daring to raise her eyes. Tsunade laughed.

"ANBU is already on scene, and Kakashi will be there shortly. If there is something…_anything_, that can outdo that combination, even without Naruto and Sakura there, then I truly fear for the safety of anything living." Tsunade said, quite convinced with herself.

_The Great Forest_

Kakashi arrived shortly after ANBU Team 6 secured the scene, and he was glad to be working with he old team again, despite the fact that most of them had either died or moved on to bigger and better things. Obito rang clearly in his mind, reminding him to be through with his search, even though Obito had the _sharingan_. Kakashi considered using the _Sharingan_ as an accomplice of his, Kuritsune, jumped down next to him.

"Area secured, Kakashi-sempai." She reported. She stood in front of him, barely reaching his shoulders. Her fine purple hair flowed in the wind, and even though she wore a mask, Kakashi was still taken aback by her beauty. She was no more than half Kakashi's skill, but she possessed a 'never-say-die' demeanor that rivaled Naruto's. That combined with the staggering amount of _ninjutsu _and _genjutsu_ she knew, she was quite the opponent if it came down to it, but right now Kakashi needed an assistant,

"Very good. Any theories? Your team was here first…" Kakashi asked. Although the mask hid it, Kuritsune blushed. Team 6 was Kakashi's Team while he was in ANBU, and for him to refer to it as 'her' team was an honor, indeed.

"We have several theories, but none that have any concrete evidence. That's why the Hokage sent you, Kakashi-sempai." Kuritsune replied, her mask betraying nothing. Kakashi nodded, allowing the information he had gathered to sink in. The clearing that they stood in bordered the river and the main road, making it a prime area for bandits to prey on travelers. Unfortunately for the bandits here at the moment, whoever it was that they attempted to rob obviously had some skill in the _ninjutsu_ arts, as several of them lay dead and broken about the makeshift camp of theirs. Kakashi walked among the deceased, noting that the ones near the road, which he deduced were the first line of attack for the bandits, bore several aggressive slash marks about their neck and chest area. The rest, residing near the river, were killed by more _ninjutsu_ methods. He surveyed three bodies lying half-submerged in the river, advancing on each and inspecting them.

"We searched the bodies, Kakashi-sempai. They have no identification on them. Any Konoha shinobi that did this would have reported it to the Hokage." Kuritsune explained. She watched as Kakashi worked, both admiring and learning from his methods. It came to no surprise to her that Hatake Kakashi was known as the 'heartthrob' of the ANBU team. She pushed her day-dreaming aside as he came across the third body he was examining.

"No identification, but this gives me a clear idea of what happened here." He said, turning over a body and pointing to a small mark on the victim's forehead. Kuritsune looked at the mark, gave a shug.

"A wound from battle, perhaps?" she offered. She had no idea what Kakashi was getting at, but she was sure it was profound.

Kakashi seemed to smile under his mask. "This, dear Kuritsune, is the seal of the Heavens." He said, as if it explained everything. He met Kuritsune's glare from under her mask, and shook his head,

"This mark only appears on those who suffer _Tenchuu_, or the 'Wrath of Heaven' technique. Since he's the second person here with the mark on his head, I'd imagine that whoever they crossed is quite powerful, and no doubt moving in the direction of Konoha." Kakashi explained.

"Akatsuki?" Kuritsune asked. Kakashi shook his head.

"I don't believe Akatsuki would have risked revealing themselves on something as lowly as a group of bandits. Even if they did, they would have taken great care in hiding the bodies and masking their chakra signature." Kakashi, like most ANBU shinobi, were usually able to determine a scene by feeling for the magnitude and type of chakra used during the encounter. However, the chakra signature Kakashi felt right now was both familiar and alien, and it's constant fluctuation had him worried a bit.

"Well, just to be safe…" Kakashi said, pricking his thumb with a kunai and forming several hand seals.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" _Kakashi called out, slamming his palm on the ground. Instantly, a small summoning circle and a puff of smoke appeared. A small, droopy looking dog sat, wagging it's tail.

"Yo." It said.

"Hello, Pakkun. I'm going to need your nose for while, if you don't mind." Kakashi said.

Pakkun reached up with his hind leg and scratched behind one ear. "What else is new?" he asked.

"Just sniff around for a bit. Find a scent that was here, but doesn't belong to any of the bodies. I believe that whoever did this may be heading towards Konoha, and I'd like to keep an eye on him." Kakashi explained. Pakkun nodded and began sniffing the ground around the area.

_Konoha_

Judo allowed the information he had just received through his _Tomegane no Jutsu_ to sink in. He removed his chakra from the small crystal ball, tucking away in his travel pack and getting up from the table he was sitting at. He left enough Ryou to cover the cost of the meal and made his way out into the street, mulling his thoughts over in his head. The one-eyed summoner, the one they called Kakashi, was quite intelligent and resourceful. No doubt it would be a matter of time before he and his summoned dog came looking for him. What intrigued him most, however, was why Kakashi hid his left eye. Judo speculated that it may be a battle wound, but dismissed the fact. Kakashi held a significant amount of chakra, some of which wasn't entirely his. Although it wasn't demonic, like the Kyuubi that the blonde-haired kid carried, it didn't match the rest of his natural chakra. Judo figured that he had perhaps the rest of this day to find Joriu's abode and search for the hidden knowledge that lie within. As he rounded a corner, still in thought, he came close to bumping into a rather pretty pink-haired girl. Instinctively, he shifted his weight, dodging to her left side quicker than the eye could perceive. His hand shot out, grabbing the lapel of her shirt and holding her at arms distance, completely off balance. Only her shout broke him from his defensive trance.

"Hey, what's the matter with you?" Sakura shouted, more surprised than angry. She was certain that the man holding her had been in front of her not even a second before. Judo met her eyes for a second, releasing her and smoothing out the wrinkle on her shirt.

"My apologies, please forgive me. You startled me, miss…" Judo tried to explain. He withdrew his hand just in time to dodge Sakura's attempt to slap it away.

"That's no excuse to go around grabbing women like that! I should knock your head into the next village!" Sakura raved, drawing a small crowd. Judo could sense an enormous amount of chakra flowing into the pink-haired girl's arms. A fight here would draw to much unwanted attention. Judo tried to play it calm, despite the egging on of the crowd.

"I apologize for grabbing you like that, but I didn't want you to fall in the dirt." Judo explained calmly. "It would have been a shame if someone as pretty as you got all dirty."

Judo's gamble worked. He sensed the chakra withdraw from her arms, and noted the expression of intrigue on her face. He had her on the defensive, trying to remember if she would have fallen or not. After a long moment, she conceded the point.

"Well, thank you but…you still scared me. I wasn't sure what you were doing." Sakura managed a smile. The crowd, realizing there would be no fight, dispersed.

"I thank you for your understanding, young one. But I assure you that I do my best no to harm those who don't deserve it." Judo said. Before Sakura could think about what the man said, he continued.

"Could you point me in the direction of the Hokage's office? I'm trying to find the town registry." Judo asked.

"Sure. It's back that way. Ask for Shizune, she's in charge of most of the records." Sakura explained, pointing in the direction she came from. Judo bowed respectfully and smiled.

"Much thanks, young kunoichi. Have a pleasant day." Judo said, walking away. Sakura caught his smile and tried to smile back, but the man had already turned away and begun walking towards the Hokage's office. Sakura watched him for a moment, his smile lingering in her mind. It reminded her of Sai, except the man's smile seemed more sincere. She shook the image from her mind, not wanting to remind herself of her night with Sai. Sakura turned and continued towards the Ichiraku Ramen Shop, where Naruto was hopefully to be found.


	4. The Gentle Waych4

_Ichiraku Ramen Shop_

Naruto paced in front of Ichiraku impatiently. His training with Lee had stirred up quite a hunger, and the tantalizing smell of cooking ramen was driving him insane. But Naruto was determined to wait until Ero-sennin arrived and paid for his meal.

"Naruto-kun, you're making me worried with all that pacing." Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku, called to him. "And I don't need a guard, but thanks anyway!" he joked, drawing a giggle from his daughter Ayame.

"I'm waiting for Ero-sennin, because he promised me he'd treat me to your ramen!" Naruto answered, moving to sit down on one of the stools.

"Jiraya-sama? What's the occasion?" Teuchi asked. He added some spices and vegetables to a large pot, and the smell wafted towards Naruto, making his mouth water.

"I finally got promoted to Chuunin. Ero-sennin promised he'd treat me to ramen if I got promoted." Naruto said happily. Teuchi glanced over his shoulder to see the wide smile on Naruto's face, and smiled himself.

"Well, congratulations. Let's hope he gets here soon, hm? You look like you're ready to jump the bench and eat me out of business!" Teuchi said, drawing another laugh from Ayame.

"Ah, I'll probably be waiting a while. Ero-sennin is so old, he probably forgot that he promised to meet me here!" Naruto joked.

"Hey, now, I'm not that old, am I?" came a voice from behind Naruto. He spun quickly, both surprised and relieved to see Jiraya standing in the entrance.

"It's about time, Ero-sennin! I was about to die from starvation!" Naruto yelled. Jiraya shook his head and sat down next to Naruto. "I'll have a miso and sake, please." Jiraya ordered.

"I want beef ramen, the way you make it, Teuchi-sama!" Naruto blurted excitedly. Teuchi nodded, adding a hunk of beef to the pot.

"It'll be a few minutes. Sure you can wait?" Teuchi asked. Naruto nodded. He watched Ayame pour Jiraya his miso and sake.

"I need to ask a favor, Ero-sennin." Naruto said, prompting a look from Jiraya.

"No, I'm not going to buy you sake, at least not in public." Jiraya answered, drawing a chuckle from Teuchi.

"No, no, I've been training hard and accomplishing my missions, and I want to learn a new jutsu." Naruto explained.

Jiraya sipped on his sake. "And what jutsu would you like to learn?" he asked, curious.

Naruto thought for a moment. "Well, in my recent encounters with Sasuke, I noticed that he uses more than one elemental jutsu. The way Kakashi explained it to me, he should only be good at one type of element." Naruto started.

"Well, being able to use a jutsu and being able to use a jutsu well are two different things. Sasuke's heritage is fire, but that won't prevent him from learning other elemental jutsus, assuming he can handle it. Hence why he can use the _Chidori_, which is a weaker version of Kakashi's _Raikiri._ See what I mean?" Jiraya downed the rest of his sake, and started on his miso.

"So, I should be able to learn different elements as well, right?" Naruto inquired. Jiraya nodded his head.

"But they won't be as strong as your heritage element. So before you go about learning different elements, you should practice and refine your heritage element, which is wind."

Jiraya finished his miso just as Ayame poured him another sake.

"I can teach you some other _Fuuton_ jutsu, but it won't be for a while. Tsunade has me working tirelessly to gather information." Jiraya explained.

"I've heard that excuse before. So, basically, you'll train me more when I'm pretty much Hokage?" Naruto said sarcastically. Jiraya chuckled.

"By then, Naruto, you shouldn't need my help anymore. But I promise, and yes, I bet the frogs, that if I can't teach you myself, I'll find someone who can. Deal?" Jiraya reached over and ruffled Naruto's hair, as he did so many other times with Minato, his former pupil and Naruto's father.

"Fine, deal. But I'm holding you to this one. I'm getting tired of ending up in the hospital every time I run into Sasuke." Naruto muttered. Just then Teuchi turned and presented a steaming bowl of beef ramen to Naruto.

"Here you go, just the way you like it." He said, smiling. Naruto's smile reappeared instantly.

"Itadakimasu!" he exclaimed, reaching for some chopsticks. Suddenly, a hand grasped his shoulder.

"There you are! It figures I'd find you here." The unmistakable sound of Sakura's voice came from behind him. "Tsunade-sama wants us to meet up with Kakashi-sensei a few miles south of the village. Let's go." Sakura spun him on his stool to face her.

"But I just got…" he started. Sakura rolled her eyes, grabbing Naruto by the collar and hefting him up using her formidable strength.

"You can stuff your face with ramen some other time! We have a mission, and we have to go now!" she said heatedly, dragging Naruto away from the ramen shop.

"Hey, wait! No! You've got to be kidding me!" Naruto protested, trying to break free of Sakura's grip. "Ero-sennin! This doesn't count! You hear me?" He called out, accepting that he wasn't going to be able to enjoy his ramen.

"Sorry, Naruto, I'm old, remember? My hearing isn't what it used to be!" he called back, drawing a laugh from Teuchi.

"_Ero-sennin!"_ Naruto called, renewing his efforts to break free. Jiraya watched as Sakura dragged him around a corner and towards the front gate, hearing his pleas and rants growing fainter and fainter. He chuckled to himself as he turned to finish his meal.

"That poor kid. All he wanted was some ramen." Ayame protested. Jiraya sighed, placing some ryou on the table.

"Package it up and I'll bring it to his home. I guess he deserves at least that much."

_Hokage's Office-Outer Cloister_

Judo removed his straw cap as he neared the entrance of the Hokage's building. His medium sweat-soaked hair matted his forehead, though he paid it no mind. He waited patiently in the lobby, admiring the view until Shizune came around the corner.

"May I help you?" she inquired. Judo sized her up in one glace. He sensed a moderate amount of chakra about her, and determined that she was another _kunoichi_.

"I was told to seek out Shizune." He stated flatly, bowing. Shizune was taken aback at the mention of her name.

"Oh! Um…who was it that told you to look for me?" she asked, struggling to recognize the stranger. He seemed in his mid thirties, with dark hair and eyes that seemed bluer than Naruto's. His _gi _and _hakama_ were sweat soaked and stained with weather, and he smelled of someone who had lived his life in the wild. None of her deductions helped her, however, and she still remained wary.

"A young pink-haired girl that I…bumped into in the village. I was wondering if I may look at the town registry. I'm looking for someone that used to live here." Judo explained.

"What is the name? I'll look it up for you." Shizune offered. Judo thought for a second. Joriu had many names throughout his life, just as Judo and everyone else in their organization had.

"It's not that easy. He was a _shinobi_, and he had to change his name a few times to protect his family. I'm here simply to collect some of his things for his family, since he passed away." Judo attempted. He was hoping that Shizune wasn't as quick as she looked. His eyes met hers, and Judo resisted the urge to use _genjutsu_ on her to get his way. That would be as a last resort.

Shizune looked puzzled. Something didn't click right with the man's story.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. Could you wait here for a moment?" Shizune asked. Judo smiled and bowed. Shizune walked back to Tsunade's office and knocked on the door as she opened it. Tsunade was reading a report with obvious disinterest.

"What?" she asked gruffly.

"There's a man here that wishes to look at the town registry." Shizune said.

"So get the name he's looking for and look it up." Tsunade said without looking up.

"There's a sort of problem." Shizune said, walking closer to the desk so she could keep her voice low. "He says the person he's looking for had to change his name a lot because he was a _shinobi_. I have a gut feeling he's up to no good."

Tsunade looked up from her paper. She sat in silence for a moment, then stood.

"I'll meet him myself. If it comes down to it, I'll let him view the books, but under my supervision." Tsunade decided. She followed Shizune out to the lobby, where Judo was gazing out of a window.

"Good morning, sir. My name is Tsunade, the Hokage of this village." Tsunade introduced herself, extending one hand. Judo glanced at the gesture, hesitating before gripping her hand in his and bowing.

"My name is Judo. I wish to see the town registry." He replied.

Tsunade held onto his hand for a moment. Her expression flashed from curiosity back to pleasant.

"Very well, sir, but you must do under my supervision. If I believe you are simply spying on us, then you will be arrested and held for questioning. Understood?"

Judo let his hand drop. He knew that she was trying to get a feel for his chakra, and he unfortunately had to play along. Tsunade turned and walked down the hall, followed by Judo and Shizune. They walked in silence until they reached a sealed door, which Tsunade opened by forming a few hand seals and touching the door. It opened, and in the room contained a desk, a chair and a large musty book.

"You have five minutes, Judo-san." Tsunade said, gesturing to the desk. Judo sat at the desk and attempted to remember the names that Joriu had used over the years. After a few failed attempts, he tried the original name Joriu went by, the one that Judo knew him by before they joined their organization. He scanned the pages, feeling relief when his eyes fell upon the name he was looking for, Huritsamo Joriu. He noted the address where he lived at, and was about to close the book, when another name caught his eye. He read it twice, not believing what he was seeing. Anger welled up inside him, and he slammed the book shut, causing Shizune and Tsunade to jump. Judo stood and turned to leave, the expression on his face causing no small amount of discomfort to the two _kuniochi_.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Tsunade asked, and Judo sensed her chakra streaming into her limbs.

"Yes, and no." Judo answered cryptically. He strode past them, rage threatening to boil over in his person.

How could they?, he thought, storming down the steps of the Hokage's building. How could Konoha, of all places, house such dishonorable scum? Judo's mind raced back in time, on the night that he and his brothers and sisters were betrayed, their families slaughtered mercilessly by their enemies. The chaos, the screams, the crying, his memories swirled about him as if he were there. He saw clearly the faces of friends and loved ones, twisted in horror and pain. And standing in the middle of the bloodshed was _him_, the betrayer, the one who allowed the enemy into their homes. The man who drove a spiteful knife into the backs of those that called him 'brother'.

Kenjiro, of the Hyuuga Clan.


	5. The Gentle Way CH5

_The Great Forest_

Naruto gripped his stomach as it growled loudly, drawing looks from the ANBU team and Kakashi. It felt like the Kyuubi itself was trying to eat it's way out of his abdomen.

"Why didn't you eat something before you left, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, I was in the process of doing just that…" Naruto trailed off, throwing a look towards Sakura, who ignored it. They had been at the scene of the battle for about ten minutes now, and as far as Naruto could tell, this didn't qualify as the emergency Sakura made it out to be. Pakkun was sniffing around, Kakashi was flipping through the latest installment of "Make-Out Paradise", and the ANBU squad just kept a silent vigil over the area.

"Why were we needed again?" Naruto wondered aloud, kneeling to inspect the ground. He didn't expect to find anything useful, but he wasn't sure what else to do.

"Well, you weren't so much needed as I wanted you here. For safety purposes." Kakashi answered, not looking up from his book. "We aren't sure yet who did this, and if it was Akatsuki, then I'd prefer you here."

Naruto ran his finger through his hair. "I was with Ero-sennin, and inside Konoha besides that. Plus, I can deal with Akatsuki members on my own, for the most part. How much more safe am I here?" he argued.

"Not your safety. Konoha's safety." Kakashi answered, again not making eye contact. Naruto conceded the point, standing and shoving his hands in his pockets. His stomach growled again, louder than before. Sakura walked up next to him.

"If this keeps up, you'll give away our position, Naruto." Sakura smiled as she reached into her gear pouch.

"Oh, yes, because an ANBU squad, a Jounin, two Chuunins and a summoned dog, surrounded by a lot of dead bodies wouldn't already cause anyone to wonder." Naruto snapped back. Sakura shook her head, taking the jab in stride. She protruded a small cloth bundle from her gear pouch and unwrapped it, revealing several chicken _onigiri_.

"My mother made these for me before I left this morning. You can have a couple if you want." She said. Naruto picked one up and popped it in his mouth. He chewed on it for a minute, nodding his head appreciatively.

"Tell you mother I said thanks, these taste really good." He said, reaching for another.

"Yo." Pakkun interrupted, walking up to the trio and sitting on his haunches. Kakashi tucked his book away and waited for Pakkun's report. Naruto took one last _onigiri_ before Sakura put them away.

"What do you have?" Kakashi asked, when they were all paying attention.

"Well, whoever did this was more concerned about covering his chakra essence than anything else. There are four different scents that don't belong here. It would have fooled a normal dog, but I was able to distinguish the similarities." Pakkun explained, reaching up with his hind leg and scratching his ear.

"Anything else?" Sakura urged.

"He's old. Really, really old. I think he was old even when Sandiame Hokage was a child."

Naruto exchanged puzzled glances with Sakura. "How could someone be that old and still alive?" he asked.

"That's the confusing part. His scent is strange, like there's something that's keeping him alive even when he should be dead, like a curse or something. Either way, his scent leads back to the road and towards Konoha. Perhaps if we catch him, he may answer a few of our questions."

Kakashi nodded. He waved Kuritsune over, and began writing something on a small scroll. When he was done, he handed it to Kuritsune.

"Clear the bodies and gather up any evidence. Make sure this scroll is taken directly to the Hokage. Place the highest priority on it." Kakashi said. Kuritsune bowed, and her and her team disappeared. Kakashi turned to Pakkun and his team.

"Lead the way." He said.

_Konoha_

Judo stood in front of the Hyuuga family compound, staring menacingly at the large wooden doors that barred his path. The Hyuuga household was more a fort, large enough to house both the branch family and main family, and complete with training centers and amenities for all. Judo struggled internally with his next move. Half of him wanted nothing more than to infiltrate the compound and slay every single Hyuuga, leaving Kenjiro alive long enough to see everything taken from him, as Judo once had. The other half argued that doing so would draw far to much unwanted attention, and as powerful as Judo was, he could not fight an entire village single-handedly, especially one as strong as Konoha. He decided that he should continue on the task that Joriu had asked of him, and save the slaying of Kenjiro for another time. He was so wrapped up in his memories and thoughts, he barely heard the young woman approach him from the side.

"Um..excuse me, sir…may I help you?" the girl asked shyly. Judo turned sharply, positioning himself instinctively for an attack. His fierce eyes met with the young woman, who couldn't have been much older than the pink-haired girl he ran into earlier. Instantly, he noticed her eyes, a light purple with no pupil.

_Kenjiro's eyes,_ he thought. The urge to slay her spiked, but he was able to sublimate it for the moment. His blue eyes bore straight into the young womans', and she tried to avert them.

"You're of Hyuuga blood." Judo said, taking a step toward her. She brought her hands up in a meek defense. Judo noticed the sweat forming on her forehead, which was milky white under her bluish-purple hair.

"Y-Yes, I'm Hinata, of the Hyuuga clan. How…who are you?" she stammered, her mind working frantically. Judo took another step towards her, now regarding her more with curiosity than anger. There was something about her that wasn't usually apparent in the Hyuuga he had dealt with before. Judo sensed the amazing amount of chakra, along with the apparent _Byakugan_ limit, as evidenced by her eyes, which were the normal earmarks of a Hyuuga. But her attitude was different; it was more…kind.

"Is there a man named Kenjiro that lives with you?" Judo asked, relaxing his stance. His eyes still bored into Hinata's, however, compelling her to tell the truth.

"Y-yes, great-grandfather Kenjiro-sama lives with us. Why do you ask?" Hinata seemed to gain a measure of confidence talking about her family, and she straightened her posture into a more aggressive stance.

"Give him a message for me. Tell him that the eyes of the Many-of-One fall on him, and Judo shall carry out his wishes." Judo said cryptically. He turned and continued his route to Joriu's house, leaving Hinata bewildered and afraid.

Judo turned a corner, fuming to himself that he was so close to his vengeance and he walked away. He reminded himself of the mantra he took upon himself, and calmed down gradually.

_The Gentle Way is the Strongest Way. Kenjiro's time will come. Do not force what will not be gently swayed._ Judo repeated in his mind. He ducked down a few more streets, observing the numbers and signs on the walls. After correcting his heading, he finally came to the last home of record of Joriu. As he reached for the door, however, he stopped, sensing something wasn't right immediately. Judo took a few steps away from the door, placing his left thumb on the _nagako_, in case he had to use the _Batto-Jutsu_.

"I don't know who you are, but if you do not leave, I will kill you." He said, seemingly to nobody. He stared at the door, and a second later the outline of a long-haired person began taking form. As the person separated himself from the door, his color returned, first the skin, then the red of his clothes, and finally, the stark whiteness of his hair, which hung long and loose behind him.

"Very good." The man said, stepping away from the door. "You must be very talented to have noticed me that quickly. The women at the bathhouse are far less perceptive." Jiraya laughed. Judo's expression did not change. Jiraya cleared his throat, sensing the situation was rapidly heading south.

"There's quite a few questions that I need answers to." Jiraya said.

"I have asked none of you, and therefore I shall not answer any. Now, please, there is something I must do." Judo said bluntly, reaching for the door. He pulled back quickly as a _kunai_ zipped past his throat.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll come quietly and answer my questions." Jiraya said, spinning another _kunai_ in his hand. Judo sighed.

"If you really want to do this…" he said, clasping his hands together. Jiraya was barely able to recognize the hand seals before the technique was completed.

"_Fuuton: Ichijin no Jutsu!"_, Judo called out, forcefully expending the air from his lungs. Instantly, a strong gust of wind hit Jiraya, knocking him up and back. He landed about 30 feet away from Judo, dazed. Judo relaxed his posture, reaching again for the door.

"No!" Jiraya yelled, tossing his _kunai_. It bounced off the door's handle, causing Judo to once again pull away. Jiraya was on his feet instantly.

"You wanna play rough, huh?" Jiraya yelled at his opponent, giving a short chuckle. He quickly formed some hand seals.

"_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" _Jiraya called, completeing the hand seals. He exhaled a large ball of fire that spiraled toward his opponent. Jiraya watched as the flames engulfed his opponent, who was in the midst of forming hand seals. Jiraya cancelled the technique, letting the fire burn around his opponent. Not believing Judo to be defeated, he walked cautiously toward the flames, until loud hissing stopped him. He spied steam coming from the flames, and as they quickly died away, he saw his opponent standing in a half-melted wall of ice, his expression revealing nothing.

_Interesting…_, Jiraya thought. _Fuuton and Hyouton jutsus. I wonder what else you have?_

As if reading his mind, Judo began forming hand seals again. Jiraya tried to identify them, but Judo simply moved to fast.

"_Doton: Iwa no Sho!"_, Judo called, slamming his palm to the ground. A half-second later, an explosion erupted under Jiraya, sending rocks and hardened earth out like shrapnel. Jiraya, sensing the chakra at the last second, leapt up in an attempt to avoid the blast radius of the technique. Pieces of earth caused small cuts around him, but Jiraya had managed to avoid the brunt of the blast. He had little time to rest, though, for as he was searching for a place to land and plotting his next move, he heard Judo's voice again.

"_Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" _Judo yelled. Instantly, the melted ice around him came together and formed into a dragon, which sped off after the falling Jiraya.

_This guy may be a little much for me,_ Jiraya thought, forming hand seals.

"_Katon: Tsuufuuka no Jutsu!"_, he called, blowing chakra-laced air out of his lungs in a concentrated steam. Instantly, the air stream turned to fire, and he aimed it carefully at the water dragon, effectively stopping it and reducing it to little more than steam. Finally, the water dragon had no more water to pull from, and was defeated. Jiraya landed gracefully on the roof overlooking Judo, forming hand seals as he landed.

"A fan of ice, are you? Then enjoy this! _Hyouton: Hyoukenseisou!_" Jiraya called, completing the seals. The water and remaining ice around Judo quickly reformed into a small prison, trapping Judo inside. The sphere was just large enough for Judo to stand in, although maneuvering would be quite difficult. Jiraya hopped down, knocking on the ball of ice.

"The temperature in there must be rapidly dropping. I suggest you answer my questions if you don't want to freeze to death." He said.

A long pause ensued. Jiraya could feel the chakra of his opponent emanating strongly from the inside of the sphere.

"Well done, _shinobi._ You're skills are quite impressive." Judo said, his voice echoing within the sphere.

"Does that mean you will answer my questions?" Jiraya asked, hopeful. It was sheer luck that he was able to pull off the Ice Prison technique, and he didn't feel like testing his luck any further.

"I would if your technique had succeeded." Came Judo's answer. Jiraya thought quickly, trying to unravel the meaning of what Judo said.

"_Katon: Entou no Jutsu!"_ Judo exclaimed. A quick hiss was all the warning Jiraya got before the flaming tip of a _katana_ protruded through the ice prison and towards his gut. Jiraya barely moved out of the way, feeling first the neat slice of the razor sharp sword, then the extreme heat of the fire next. The sword cut a large gash in Jiraya's left side, also setting his clothes in the immediate area on fire. As Jiraya attempted to stamp out the fire, Judo's blade sliced around and up, quickly cutting an opening that he could escape from. Judo leapt onto a nearby rooftop, turning to face Jiraya.

"_Doton: Ishi Shuriken no Jutsu!"_ Judo called, forming hand seals at blazing speed. Large pointed rocks began hurling themselves at Jiraya, who was able to do little more than raise his hands in defense. The rocks sharpest edges caught Jiraya's clothing, driving him back and pinning him against the wall. Jiraya struggled to free himself, hearing his clothes tear from the stone. Judo was suddenly in front of him, hand on his sheathed blade.

"Stop." Judo said. Jiraya felt compelled to obey. He didn't feel any _genjutsu_, or any sort of controlling power being used on him, and he needed to buy some time to recuperate and form a game plan anyway.

"Might I have your name?" Judo asked, which puzzled Jiraya. Judo didn't seem any more malicious then when Jiraya had first engaged him.

"Jiraya." He answered, his mind still racing. To his surprise, Judo straightened up, and bowed respectfully.

"You fight with exceptional prowess, Jiraya-sama. Your speed and power are remarkable, to say the least. But you are fighting someone who had bested thousands upon thousands. Old as I may be, it will still take more than just you to defeat me." Judo smiled as he explained. Jiraya soaked it all in, attempting to make connections where he could. Judo called himself old, but he looked no older than his early thirties. And to best thousands upon thousands? He must be exaggerating.

"I'm giving you a chance, Jiraya-sama. The voice of the Many-of-One does not whisper your name in my ears, and hence does not wish to claim your soul. I would truly hate for someone of your notable talents to die. Please, Jiraya-sama, walk away from this fight."

Jiraya looked at Judo for a moment, noting the sincerity in his striking blue eyes. Feigning a look of defeat, Jiraya secretly looked for an escape or possibly a way to take the man off-guard.

"There!" Came a shout from above. Judo spun instantly, dropping low and placing himself between Jiraya and the source of the voice. He scanned the rooftops, finding a small dog sitting perched on a ledge. It took Judo a second to realize that the dog was the summoned one that he noticed through his _Tomegane no Jutsu._ As if to reinforce the point, three figures appeared, spread out along the rooftop. Judo recognized them as people he had met earlier, with the exception of Kakashi.

"Hey! That's the man that almost knocked me over earlier!" Sakura shouted, recognizing Judo.

"He stopped me at the front gate, too!" Naruto added, also recognizing Judo.

"If I had known you we're going to cause trouble, I would have pounded you into the ground as soon as I saw you!" Sakura said, cracking her knuckles for emphasis.

Kakashi sized up the scene. The man had Jiraya pinned, which meant that he was quite a handful if even one of the Sannin was having trouble with him. Evidence of a battle was everywhere, including scorch marks on the building they were standing on. And the man didn't look tired or fatigued at all. Kakashi immediately raised his forehead protector and activated his _Sharingan_

"Be careful, Naruto, Sakura." Kakashi warned, trying to get a bead on Judo. "He has one of the Sannin pinned. Do not take him lightly."

Judo leapt from where he was and landed on an adjacent rooftop. His stance and expression didn't change, and it made Naruto and Sakura uneasy. Naruto looked at Jiraya, who was attempting to free himself from the wall.

"Is he..Akatsuki?" Naruto asked, locking eyes with Judo.

"No…he would have taken you when you met at the front gate." Kakashi reasoned.

"There is no need for this. I have no quarrel with you _shinobi_." Judo announced.

"Then you wouldn't mind if we brought you in for some questioning, would you?" Kakashi called back. When Judo didn't speak or move for a few moment, Kakashi shrugged. "Guess we have to do it the hard way." He muttered.


	6. The Gentle Way ch6

"Half a _sharingan_?" Judo asked. Kakashi stared intently at his opponent, trying to figure out his chakra patterns and predict his movement. For some reason he couldn't and that made him all the more worried.

"Sakura, check and make sure Jiraya-sama has no lasting injuries. We might need his help in the next few minutes." Kakashi ordered.

"Yes, sir." Sakura said, leaping down to Jiraya's side. Judo never took his eyes off of Kakashi.

"Naruto, keep your eyes peeled for an opening. I'm going to engage him." Kakashi leapt from the building he was on to Judo's.

Judo found himself in quite a predicament. Kakashi seemed ready to fight, and it looked as if whatever help Jiraya-sama was getting was working. But what worried him the most was the presence of the Kyuubi. Already it seemed as if the boy's heightened emotions woke the beast, as Judo could sense the Kyuubi's chaotic energies syncing with the kids'.

"You." Judo said, pointing to Naruto. Naruto glanced behind him, not sure who he was talking to.

"What?" Naruto asked, still in his fighting stance. The movements Judo was doing reminded him of one of his earlier engagements with Uchiha Itachi, so he braced himself for any _genjutsu_.

"I know about the evil that resides in your soul, boy. You think it gives you power, but all it will do is consume you." Judo said. A slight movement brought his attention back to Kakashi.

"You should worry less about him, and more about me." Kakashi said. He dodged left, flinging a _kunai_ in Judo's direction. Judo caught the _kunai _effortlessly, shaking his head. He tucked the _kunai _away, dropping into a stance and clutching his _katana_.

"_Kenjutsu Ougi-Shiryuuga!_" Judo said aloud. Kakashi watched his opponent, finding it curious that nothing was taking place. He quickly brought another _kunai_ up, barely stopping Judo's blade from piercing his neck. Kakashi realized that Judo was no longer in front of him, but to his right side.

"It looks as if your _sharingan_ works, Kakashi-sama." Judo said. Before Kakashi could react, Judo flicked his blade up, causing Kakashi to raise his arm and expose his ribs. Judo came down, smashing an elbow into Kakashi's side. As he connected, his front foot wrapped around Kakashi's leg, sweeping it up and away. Kakashi fell hard to the ground, feeling the air leave his lungs. Judo backed off.

_Time for me to get in the fight!_, Naruto thought, calling forth his Shadow Clones. Instantly, ten shadow clones swarmed the rooftop Judo and Kakashi were battling on, attempting to distract Judo and buy his comrades some time. Judo reacted instantly, becoming little more than a blur amongst a rapidly-disappearing crowd of Naruto shadow clones.

"Quite a _jutsu_ for someone so young to master. Did the Kyuubi teach you that?" Judo asked, mildly impressed.

"I learned that _jutsu_ and mastered it long before this Demon Fox even began talking to me! Just because I'm forced to share a body with this thing doesn't mean it owns me! As a matter of fact, _I_ own _it_, and _it_ knows it!" Naruto retorted, balling his fists in anger.

"And by the way you keep mentioning the Demon Fox, it seems like you're afraid of it!" Naruto mocked. Judo's expression didn't change.

"I fear for _you_, young Naruto." Judo said. Naruto was shocked, not only by the mention of his name, but at the heartfelt compassion that Judo's tone exuded. Before anything else could be said, however, Jiraya's voice interrupted.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"_ he called, slamming his palm to the ground. Suddenly, a giant armor-clad frog materialized over Judo's head, and Judo rolled and leapt to another rooftop to avoid being squashed. Sakura intercepted him, swinging for his midsection as he landed.

"You aren't going anywhere!" she yelled, throwing measured strikes that came near to her target. It seemed she had Judo on the defensive with her sudden _taijutsu_, for all he could do was duck and dodge, barely managing to avoid the blows.

_I must keep going! Analyze his movements and land a good hit!_, Sakura thought to herself, remembering Tsunade's lessons. Each of her attacks packed chakra-infused strength, and would kill if not seriously injure her opponent if she connected. She swung a few more times, feeling her opponents' _gi_ brush her knuckles as she moved. Suddenly, Judo grasped her wrist as she threw another punch, guiding it away from him with such gentleness that she swore he wasn't moving her at all. He planted his feet, turning and squatting down, allowing Sakura to overbalance herself. He continued guiding her arm until she was airborne, finally slamming harshly into the stone rooftop enough to cause several cracks. As she lay stunned and breathless, Judo formed a hand seal, locking eyes with her.

"_Kyouhaku Warai no Jutsu."_ He said softly. Sakura subconsciously crooned to herself how beautiful Judo's eyes were, just before she realized she was about to be caught in some kind of _genjutsu_. Before she could close her eyes or protect herself, unimaginable horrors flashed into her mind, scenes of wonton death and carnage, of her friends and loved ones dead and dying, being tortured by demonic creature who laughed coldly at their cries for mercy. Sakura, too, felt like laughing, a small giggle at first, until she could no longer control it. She felt her mind's sanity fading, and soon her giggle had turned into a chilling, maniac laugh. She lay curled in the fetal position on the roof, at Judo's feet, laughing a horrible, nightmarish laugh that shook even Jiraya, who stood perched atop his summoned frog.

"Naruto! As soon as you can, grab Sakura and take her to the hospital! Kakashi and I will finish this!" He called, forming hand seals. Naruto glanced at Kakashi, who was favoring one side heavily.

"It'll be ok, Naruto. Don't worry about me. Just get Sakura help, before her mind collapses totally." Kakashi said, forming a hand seal and concentrating his chakra to his _Sharingan_. Naruto waited, wondering what, if anything, he could do against someone so powerful.

Jiraya's summoned frog leapt towards Judo, attempting to slam into it with his spiked armor. Judo dodged aside, allowing to frog to come between him and Sakura.

"_Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!"_ Jiraya called, spitting several small fireballs at Judo. As Judo dodged, Jiraya tried to predict his movements, coming closer and closer with each fireball until it looked as if Judo's _gi_ had caught fire. Judo rolled, smothering the fire before it could become a concern and leapt to an adjacent rooftop.

"Go now, while he's distracted." Kakashi whispered, disappearing. Naruto leapt forward, dodging between the frog's legs and grabbed Sakura, who was still laughing her evil laugh.

"Snap out of it!" he yelled, shaking her a bit. Either she was to far gone or couldn't hear him, but Sakura kept laughing manically. Naruto bit his lip, knowing he would pay for it later, and slapped Sakura hard across the face. Sakura stopped laughing instantly, and instead started visibly shaking. Naruto tried to pick her up, but she struggled against him.

"No! Stay away!" she cried. Her eyes met with his, and Naruto could see abject terror in them. He gritted his teeth, picking Sakura up and slinging her over his shoulder. He took one look back at Jiraya, who pointed in the direction of the hospital.

"GO!" he yelled, and Naruto leapt off. Jiraya turned his attention back to Judo, who was forming a complex amount of hand seals. Jiraya didn't recognize them, but he was pretty sure that it would be bad news if Kakashi didn't hurry up.

"_Raikiri!"_ Came Kakashi's voice as he appeared behind Judo. Judo spun and leapt backwards, attempting to put some distance between himself and Kakashi. Kakashi expected it, however, and followed through with his technique. Judo had no choice but to take the brunt of the technique, twisting his body so that part of his shoulder would receive the damage. Kakashi connected, his _raikiri_ piercing Judo's flesh and sending electrical currents through his body. Judo grit his teeth, forcing himself not to succumb to the increasing electrocution. He filled his lungs with air, lacing them with chakra and forming a hand seal with his good arm.

"_Dokukiri no Jutsu!"_ he called, blowing the now-poisoned air directly into Kakashi's face. Kakashi attempted to hold his breath, but the technique was so sudden and unexpected, he inhaled a slight amount. He began to feel the effects immediately as his _raikiri_ started to falter, then fail altogether. Kakashi was feeling increasingly weak, and knew he had to get out of the cloud of poison, but his body was not responding to his commands. A sudden realization that this may be the end crept over him, and he fell, waiting for death to take him. He felt something grip him, then a sudden rush of air. He barely realized he was being carried out of the poison cloud until he let his breath out and breathed in clean air, which awakened him slightly. He watched helplessly as Judo leapt with him out of the cloud and onto another rooftop, laying him gently on the surface. Judo covered Kakashi's _sharingan_ with his headband, then looked up at Jiraya, who stood still watching from atop his giant frog. In an instant, Judo was also atop the frog, facing Jiraya. His stance was relaxed, despite the profusely bleeding wound in his shoulder. Jiraya tensed, willing to continue fighting, but for how long, he couldn't be sure. Judo reached into his _gi_ with his good arm, removing the _kunai_ he stored there earlier and an unrecognizable seal. He attached the seal to the _kunai_, then flung it as hard as he could into the Great Forest.

"You do not have much time, Jiraya-sama. Your friend Kakashi inhaled some of the poison, and without proper medical attention he will perish soon." Judo said flatly, gesturing to the supine form of Kakashi.

"Nor do you. The whole village of Konoha will be here shortly, and you're running out of tricks." Jiraya responded. Judo smiled slightly.

"I have no intention of continuing this fight, Jiraya-sama. You and your fellow _shinobi_ have shown me a level of skill that I have not seen in many years. For that, I will allow you to ask two questions, one for you, and one for your friend." Judo said.

Jiraya was taken aback. Not a minute ago, he and Kakashi were fighting for their lives, now this man wants to answer questions? This was too much…

"First things first, I guess. Why are you here?" Jiraya asked.

"To seek knowledge, at the request of a fallen friend." Judo answered, rotating his wounded shoulder. He grimaced in pain, but kept his eyes on Jiraya at all times.

"What knowledge? What lies within this building?" Jiraya asked.

"I don't know. That's why I wish to find it. But you and your friends have made that quite a challenge for me." Judo cautiously raised his wounded arm, forming a hand seal.

"Why did you want to see the town registry? What were you hoping to find?" Jiraya asked again. Judo shook his head.

"You have asked your two questions, Jiraya-sama. Perhaps next time we meet, it will be under more amicable circumstances, and I will be happy to answer some more questions." Judo replied.

"_Hiraishin no Jutsu!"_ Judo called, disappearing in a yellow flash. Jiraya stood both confused and amazed. He learned so much about his opponent, yet so little.

_Tsunade is going to be quite disappointed with this report_, Jiraya thought, canceling his summoning technique. His frog disappeared in a puff, and Jiraya landed next to Kakashi. His comrade was sweating profusely, and hyperventilating as well. Jiraya picked him up and hurried to the hospital, where Tsunade was hopefully already waiting.

_Konoha Hospital_

Naruto jumped as Tsunade opened the door to Sakura's room. The medics had managed to calm Sakura down for the moment, but she was still in a nervous shock. She stared blankly at the ceiling, her mouth slightly open and her breathing shallow. Naruto had been watching over her since she had been admitted.

"What happened to her?" Tsunade asked in a voice that hinted she was none to happy about the events of the day.

"I'm not sure. Where I could see, it seemed like whoever we were fighting slammed her on the ground, and then she started laughing hysterically." Naruto said, shrugging. "I think he might have used _genjutsu_, but I couldn't tell you what it was."

Tsunade walked to Sakura's bedside. She formed chakra to her hand and began scanning Sakura, looking for something that the medics may have overlooked. After a long silence, Tsunade spoke.

"It looks as if he used the Compelling Laughter technique." She said.

Naruto looked puzzled. "How could you tell that?" he asked.

"Her throat is raw from the forced laughter, and she has micro tears in her abdomen and lungs. All signs that point to air being forced out of the lungs via the stomach. But the effects shouldn't last this long. Not unless he was using a past experience." Tsunade explained.

Naruto shook his head. _Genjutsu_ was out of his scope of understanding. Tsunade noticed Naruto's questioning look and tried better to explain it.

"Usually, when someone uses this _genjutsu_, it conjures up images of something horrible. However, if someone actually lived through a horrible event, like say, watching their parents die, then that person can put more power into the _genjutsu_, and therefore make it more effective." She said.

"So what will happen to Sakura, then? Will she be ok?" Naruto asked.

"She should be alright. It's typical for people who experience this to take a little while for their mind to recover. It just may take a bit longer because of the strength of the technique used, but you got to her before any permanent damage was done, so good job." Tsunade patted Naruto's shoulder, trying to comfort him. A rap on the door got both of their attention.

"Hokage-sama, there is someone down the hall that requires your immediate attention." The nurse said, bowing politely. Tsunade said nothing, walking briskly down the hall with Naruto in tow. As they rounded a corner, they saw Jiraya, looking a bit beaten and bloody, standing outside of a room.

"Hurry, Tsunade. Kakashi has been poisoned and the doctors are having a hard time removing it." Jiraya said as soon as he saw them. Tsunade picked up her pace, pushing her way past the plethora of doctors and nurses working on Kakashi. Naruto and Jiraya watched helplessly as Tsunade began to work on Kakashi.

"Naruto, listen. I need you to go find someone with excellent tracking skill, like Kiba or one of the Hyuuga's, and bring them to the Hokage's office. I'll send out for Shikamaru, but if you see him tell him to come to the Hokage's office and wait for you. We need to find this person and capture him. I'll explain the battle plan when you get back." Jiraya said.

"Right! He'll pay for what he did to Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, sprinting out of the hospital.


	7. The Gentle Way Ch7

_Hyuuga Household_

Hinata had heard the sounds of a shinobi battle not far from her house. She thought that she also heard Naruto's name mentioned, and it took all her discipline to not give in to her curiosity and investigate.

_Besides, I'd probably just get in the way._ She thought. _Father says it best if I just stop being a shinobi altogether._ She scooped white rice into several bowls, placing them on the family table. Since she had returned home, she had been preparing dinner for both of the families, a practice that her father also looked down upon.

_Well, if I can't be a good shinobi, at least I could be a good wife to someone. Perhaps Naruto…_

Her thoughts wandered into a future that included her and Naruto together. She imagined what their children would look like and be named, where they would live, and a number of other fantasies. So wrapped up in her dreams was she that she jumped when someone slammed a door shut behind her, causing her to spill a bowl of rice on the ground. As she stooped to clean the mess, she glanced up to see her father, Hiashi, glaring down at her.

"This is why you're useless, Hinata." He said, shaking his head and walking away.

"I'm s-sorry, I just..." She began to explain, but she knew that her father would be ignoring her. She would probably be punished if she tried to make an excuse, so she silently continued to clean the rice. She struggled for something to say, not wanting her father to stay angry at her. A thought popped into her head.

"Father, there was a message for great-grandfather Kenjiro-sama earlier." Hinata said, standing to throw the rice away.

"Did you deliver it?" Hiashi asked, a slight trace of venom in his voice.

"No, father, you said that I was not worthy to be in Kenjiro-sama's presence. I was saving it until someone else would be able to deliver it." Hinata answered. When she was younger, her and her great-grandfather used to play outside in the courtyard, but once she started training at the academy, her father told her that she would have to prove herself if she wanted to be accepted by the Hyuuga clan, Kenjiro included. So far, she had fallen far short of expectations.

"Well, at least you've managed to learn that much. Give me the message and I'll deliver it after I eat." Hiashi said, scooping various foods onto his plate.

"A man at the front of our house said to tell great-grandfather that 'The eyes of the Many-of-One fall on him, and Judo will carry out his wishes.'" Hinata told her father as she placed more food on the table. She sat to enjoy the meal, but before she could start, loud, rapid knocking came to the front door.

"Go see who that is." Hiashi ordered. Hinata stood, walking to the front of the house and placing her sandals on her feet. Beyond the entrance to the house, a large training courtyard separated the actual house they lived in from the large front gate. Hinata heard the knocks growing louder and more frantic, and hoped that it wasn't someone seriously hurt. She unlatched the gate, heaving it aside with effort. When the door slid aside, a frustrated, out-of-breath Naruto met eyes with her.

Hinata felt the air leave her lungs. Everything in her body froze, and she felt her face become increasingly hot. She tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"Hinata! I need you!" Naruto said, grabbing her hand.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, an alarm went of that signaled a lack of oxygen. Hinata tried to breathe, but if she found air hard to come by when she first saw Naruto, it was now impossible.

_He…he needs…me?_ She thought, wondering how many times she had dreamed of him saying that to her.

"Hinata! We need to get to the Hokage's Office quickly! Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei are hurt badly, and we need to find who did it!" Naruto yelled, shaking her and waking her from her revelry.

"What's going on out here?" Hiashi asked, appearing across the courtyard. Hinata instantly came back to reality, forcing air into her lungs as she tried to explain what was happening.

"Naruto needs me…for a mission. From the Hokage." She said.

"A mission from the Hokage? That's a shock. Try not to be an embarrassment." Hiashi said, disappearing back into the home. Hinata tried to regain her composure. She desperately wanted to prove herself on a mission, and if it were a mission with Naruto then all the better.

"C'mon, we don't have much time!" Naruto said, grabbing Hinata's hand again and yanking her out of the compound.

_Hokage's Office_

"A capture mission? Isn't that a job for ANBU?" Shikamaru asked, jamming his hands into his pockets. Tsunade sat behind her desk, obviously vexed by something. Jiraya simply stared out the window.

"ANBU will be on standby once you and your team make your move. You and your _Kage Mane_ are better suited to capture the individual than anything ANBU can come up with. Plus, with your superior intellect, any attack plan you can come up with will be better than taking days of planning." Tsunade explained.

_This is so troublesome._ Shikamaru thought. _I should have just played dumb from the beginning, like Naruto. He's probably off enjoying ramen from Ichiraku's right now._

"Can you tell me anything about the target?" Shikamaru asked, resigning himself to the mission.

Tsunade glanced at Jiraya, then back at Shikamaru. "His name is Judo. No one has any idea where he's from or why he's here, but he's dangerous. That's why we need to capture him, or at least neutralize him." She said.

"Dangerous? How dangerous can he be if you're sending a team of _chuunin_ after him?" Shikamaru deduced. Something wasn't clicking right with the story.

"Judo is very skilled. More skilled than Kakashi and I combined." Jiraya said, turning to face Shikamaru. It looked like Jiraya-sama had been through hell.

"When we faced him, Judo showed proficiency in several elemental techniques, as well as _genjutsu_ and _taijutsu_. From what I could gather, he's seemed to be well aware of his surrounding, but he was still a man. He was becoming fatigued in the latter portion of the fight, and Kakashi managed to land a blow with his _raikiri_ on him. Even though he was struck with such a powerful maneuver, Judo still managed to come back with a suitable counter, poisoning Kakashi before he could finish him off." Jiraya leaned back against the glass.

"What struck me as odd, however, was the fact that he didn't leave Kakashi in the poison cloud. Once Kakashi had succumbed to the poison, Judo grabbed him and brought him to relative safety. It was as if he didn't want to kill anyone."

Shikamaru absorbed the story. _A highly-skilled, possible S-rank shinobi that doesn't kill?_, Shikamaru thought. _That's rather odd…_

"This still doesn't explain why three _chuunin_ are being sent instead of an ANBU team." Shikamaru said.

"We're sending you because he was immediately hostile when Jiraya confronted him, and if an ANBU squad shows up, that might incite him to fight again. We're hoping that he comes back quietly, without incident. But just in case, you have your _Kage Mane_ to help subdue him." Tsunade explained.

Shikamaru sighed. It made sense, unfortunately. "Will I get to choose my team?" Shikamaru asked. Before anyone could say anything, the door burst open, and Naruto charged in, practically dragging Hinata by the hand.

"We're here, Jiraya-sama! Let's go!" Naruto exclaimed, letting go of Hinata. A slight wave of sorrow washed over Hinata when Naruto let go of her, but she quickly composed herself.

"Shikamaru, meet your team for this mission." Tsunade said, gesturing to Naruto and Hinata. Shikmaru sighed again. _I guess it could be worse._ He thought.

"Judo fled the village to the west. Start your search in that direction, starting from where the battle sight was. Naruto can fill you in on his tactics and movements, and Shikamaru will fill you in on the mission objectives. Go now, and take this." Jiraya handed Shikamaru a seal on a piece of paper. "If things get out of hand, this will summon me, and I'll bring plenty of backup."

"Understood. We'll bring him back." Shikamaru said, turning to his newly-formed team.

"Let's roll."

_The Great Forest_

Judo winced in pain as he packed various ground herbs into the wound on his shoulder. Whatever Kakashi had hit him with destroyed some of the muscle and tendons in his left shoulder, causing no small amount of discomfort and also limiting his movement in his left arm. The herbs were a concoction that a medical specialist created for him long ago, which would help to rebuild the destroyed muscle and tendons, but would take some time. Judo removed his _gi _top and made his way to the nearby river, trying to think of a way to get into Joriu's house now that every shinobi in Konoha would be on alert for him. As he went to place his hands in the water, small ripples began to form, originating from the center of the river. Judo felt a sudden but familiar feeling wash over him, and he looked up to see a very beautiful young woman standing in the middle of the river. As Judo's eyes met hers, she smiled and walked towards him. Judo quickly lowered his eyes and bowed as she neared.

"Aimi-sama, you grace me with your presence." He said, remaining prostrate before her.

"_Please, Judo, you need not show such respect. A simple 'good afternoon' would do."_ Aimi replied. Her voice traveled like songs on the wind, melodic and graceful. It intoxicated Judo, and he fought very hard to maintain his composure. Aimi was a lesser spirit who's lineage traced back to the seed of the Death God himself. Although she was beautiful, she was still a servant of the Death God, and in being in his servitude could take souls through seduction. Judo had received that information directly from the Death God during his initiation, and made sure to not lose himself around her.

"Do what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Judo straightened his posture. His wound had begun to bleed again, but he paid it no mind.

"_Joriu has given his seal to the Master, claiming he was delivered by your hand. He wishes you luck and well being, and hopes that he does not see you in the Master's court anytime soon."_ Aimi said, placing her hand on Judo's shoulder. Judo felt her touch heal him, soothe him, and he wanted nothing more than to collapse in her arms. Her gentle smile, the softness of her skin, even her scent called to him, but he fought with all his determination to resist.

"Does the Master still honor the pact with my wife and children?" Judo asked, trying to remind himself of his loyalties. Aimi pulled away from him, his shoulder now healed.

"_He does, for as long as you honor your pact to Him, then your family will be taken care of in his court. The Death God understands what you and yours have been through, and your faith in him helps to justify the safekeeping of their souls."_ Aimi said, now holding Judo's face in her hands. Judo bit the inside of his cheek, reminding himself to remain controlled.

"_Your wife wished for me to give you a message. Do you wish to hear it?"_ Aimi asked.

"Yes." Judo said, feeling the sorrow well up within him.

"_She wants you to know that she loves you and is waiting for you. She also understands the needs that you may have, still being one with the living, and she wishes for you to be happy, even if that means starting a new family in this world."_ Aimi said. Judo took the message in, feeling tears roll down his cheeks. Aimi wiped them away, running a hand through his hair.

"_Do not lose sight of your objective, Judo-sama. While the Master cannot openly favor one disciple over another, I believe that he favors you over all others for the position of Bishamon. And I agree with him."_ Aimi said looking into his eyes. Judo took a deep breath and stood.

"Thank you, Aimi-sama. Please tell the Master that I await his commands, and also, tell my wife and children that I love them and miss them dearly." Judo said.

"_I will do this for you. Take care, Judo-sama." _Aimi said, kissing him gently on the cheek. She turned and walked back out onto the river until she disappeared altogether, leaving not even a ripple to prove she was ever there. Judo's head started to clear, and he checked the scar where his wound once was. He moved his arm around and formed a few practice seals, finding his shoulder as good as it once was. Judo walked away from the river, setting up a makeshift camp and contemplating the events that just unfolded. A lesser spirit would not have visited him unless she was bearing news of another soul in need of freeing. Aimi, however, had switched allegiances on more than one occasion, causing Judo to doubt her intentions. The gods and spirits all played a dangerous game, allying and undermining each other in an attempt to become the king of all gods. Judo had lived long enough to know all to well the deals spirits made with mortals in an attempt to gain power and influence, blessing mortals with gifts and power in exchange for the souls and beliefs of their brethren. The gods have long claimed souls for themselves, especially the souls of mighty warriors, to bolster the ranks of their armies. When the End finally comes, it will be from a war between gods, all vying for supremacy. Judo would have to be patient, and hope that his Master would give him guidance soon.

Judo felt fatigue taking its toll on him, and made himself comfortable against a log, still mulling his failed attempt to acquire Joriu's knowledge. He started to doze, when suddenly his ears picked up the slight sound of leaves rustling, and a branch being relieved of unnatural weight. He opened his eyes to see three figures landing a few meters in front of him. He recognized two of them as Naruto and the Hyuuga-child, but the third, and apparent leader of the group, was not familiar to him.

"That's him! That's that Judo guy!" Naruto said excitedly.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to come with us, Judo." Shikamaru said bluntly.


	8. The Gentle Way Ch8

"Very well." Judo said, standing and adjusting his _gi_ top. "Lead the way."

The confusion was apparent on Naruto's face. Even Hinata seemed puzzled by Judo's lack of resistance. Only Shikamaru remained stoic in appearance.

"That's it? You're just going to come quietly?" Naruto asked. Judo sensed that Naruto's bewilderment somehow stymied the Kyuubi's chakra flow, reverting back to purely Naruto's.

"Is that not what you want?" Judo asked, shrugging. He knelt to place his belongings into his travel sack.

"Well, we _were _expecting a fight." Shikamaru offered. "But fighting here would be troublesome, and I'd prefer just to get you back to Konoha without incident."

"You're damn right we were expecting a fight! You put Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei in the hospital!" Naruto yelled, rushing in front of Shikamaru and pointing angrily at Judo. Judo looked up from his travel pack.

"You're right, I did. You should take note that they are _hospitalized_, not _dead_. I was very careful to only incapacitate them, not kill them. Likewise, you and Jiraya-sama aren't sharing a hospital room with them. Did it ever occur to you why?" Judo asked. Naruto felt Hinata and Shikamaru staring at him. In truth, he hadn't even thought about it, and his hesitation proved it.

"It's because you stayed out of my way. Jiraya-sama had true skill in his _ninjutsu_, and the wherewithal to not engage me in _taijutsu_. Kakashi's technique required him to get in close, and while it was a powerful technique, he overextended himself, allowing me to counter. And the pink-haired girl, well…" Judo shrugged, seeming to search for his words. He placed his back on his back and stood.

"She seemed more a brawler than a _kunoichi_. Hopefully, she will learn from her mistake before she gets herself killed." Judo finished, looking at the three _chunnin_ in turn. His gaze fell especially hard on Hinata, and the urge to kill her rose in his being. Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably, shuffling herself nearer to Naruto.

"I'm going to take you on your honor that you aren't going to try anything." Shikamaru stated, snapping Judo back to reality. "However, I'm sure you'll understand that, given the events that transpired earlier, I don't entirely trust you. You will walk in the center of the three of us, with me to the rear and Hinata and Naruto flanking you. We may be _chunnin,_ but make one false move and we will not hesitate to do whatever it takes to stop you, even if it means killing you."

Judo smiled, bowing his head. "I admire your spirit. I hope that it does not come to that."

_Konoha—Hyuuga Household_

Hiashi knocked gently on the sliding door. Kenjiro hated to be disrupted during his meditation, but he hated not receiving messages in a timely manner more.

"Yes?" Kenjiro's voice came from beyond the door. Hiashi slid it open, seeing Kenjiro kneeling in front of a shrine dedicated to an unknown deity. Kenjiro was a mystery to Hiashi. Some days he would spend his entire time meditating at his shrine, other times he would disappear for days at a time, only to reappear as if he had never left. He doubted he was doing missions for the Hokage, since he believed he was above the Hokage's rule. Haishi felt it wiser not in ask, however, and live in mystery.

"Hinata had a message for you. She asked me to deliver it." Haishi said. He knew it was a lie, but he felt it better to keep Hinata away from Kenjiro, lest she ask questions or otherwise anger him.

"And that is…?" Kenjiro asked, opening his eyes and glancing sidelong at Hiashi.

"She was told by a man at our front gate to tell you, Kenjiro-sama, 'The eyes of the Many-of-One fall on him, and Judo will carry out his wishes.'" Hiashi relayed. Almost as soon as he had done so, Kenjiro's eye's snapped to him, drilling into his own harshly.

Quicker than Hiashi could see, Kenjiro was in front of him, gripping his clothes and practically lifting him off the ground.

"Who told her this? What did he look like?" Kenjiro demanded. Hiashi was stunned into silence. He figured that Kenjiro was powerful, but the strength and speed of the eldest Hyuuga was frankly shocking.

"I…I don't know…" Hiashi managed. He felt a tinge of fear well up in him at the sight of Kenjiro's increasingly irate expression.

"Well, where is Hinata?" Kenjiro all but yelled, pressing Hiashi against the wall.

"She had a mission, from the Hokage." Hiashi said. Kenjiro growled in frustration, throwing Hiashi to the side and sending him tumbling.

"Find her and bring her here, immediately! And if the Hokage has a problem with it, you can send her to see me!" Kenjiro shouted. He turned in a huff back into his room, slamming the door shut. His ire mixed with fear, and he tried to take solace in his prayers.

_The eyes of the Many-Of-One…_, Kenjiro thought. It had been a very long time since he had heard that name, even longer since he heard the all-to-familiar warning. He rifled through his memory to try and remember who this Judo character was. No one by that name sounded familiar, and it was improbable that they replenished their ranks once Kenjiro had finished with them. He had encountered one of the surviving members while out on a personal mission, and managed to extract some information before permanently dispatching him. He knew that he had not destroyed them all, but he did get the majority of them, and made sure that their lineage was erased as well. What he had not known, however, was the survivors convened and consulted their God, who disbanded them. Kenjiro figured this 'Judo' was one of the said survivors; the problem was which one of the survivors. Most of the members he could best in combat, but there were a few that may prove too powerful for him. Kenjiro let his ire and fear melt away, convincing himself that he would take appropriate action as new information came to him. He closed his eyes, attempting to focus on his meditation, but a small restlessness still lingered in the pit of his stomach…

_Great Forest-Main Trail_

Naruto stared unintentionally at Judo, whose expression bore one of someone enjoying a walk in a forest as opposed to a captive being escorted to prison. The sun had begun it's descent into the horizon, although it still peeked through the tree's of the Great Forest in small amounts. Around the group, the nocturnal animals of the forest began chirping, buzzing and otherwise waking up to being their new day. If they kept the pace, they may make it back to the village before something bigger than insects decided to choose them for breakfast.

Occasionally, Naruto's stare would meet with Hinata's worried glance, and each time Hinata practically broke her neck to avoid his look. Thousands of questions flew through Naruto's mind, and he felt that if he didn't ask Judo at least one, he would explode.

"Why didn't you fight?" he blurted. He heard Shikamaru sigh behind him, but ignored him.

"Fighting would have made things complicated. It was much easier to get what I wanted by complying." Judo answered, not missing a beat.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"I need to get to Konoha, and you three want to take me to Konoha. What was there to fight about?" Judo explained. Naruto conceded the logic.

"But why did you fight in Konoha? Especially with Ero-senn…ah, Jiraya-sensei?" Naruto pressed.

"Why don't we let the interrogation squad ask the questions?" Shikamaru offered. Judo gave a short laugh.

"You don't learn if you don't ask questions." Judo said. "To answer your question, Naruto, I fought because I was attacked. I warned Jiraya-sama that if he did not let me accomplish my task, then I would kill him."

"But you didn't kill him." Naruto pointed out. Now Hinata had begun taking an interest in the conversation.

"Correct. And I probably wouldn't have, if it came down to it." Judo said.

"But you said you would." Naruto said.

"I was trying to avoid a fight. By saying that I would kill him, I had hoped to intimidate him into leaving me alone. He proved quite stubborn, however, and forced me to defend myself." Judo explained. Naruto let the information sink in for the rest of the trip. When they came to the main gate, Shikamaru reported to the gate guards while Naruto and Hinata watched over Judo. Hinata cautiously made her way closer to Naruto, trying to find the courage to say something, anything, to him.

"Uhm..Uh…Naruto-kun…" She said softly, almost inaudibly. Naruto glanced at Hinata, and then back to Judo, who seemed to be taking an interest in the goings-on of the townsfolk in the early evening.

"What is it?" he asked, perhaps a little more agitated than he intended to. Hinata seemed to stay silent for a long second, again finding the courage to speak.

"Uh…I was wondering if, maybe later, perhaps, you can help me with some of my training." Hinata said, fidgeting nervously. Judo threw the both of them an odd look.

"I don't know, Hinata. Once we turn this guy in to the Hokage, I'm going to go get something to eat. I've been running around since before breakfast on an empty stomach." Naruto stretched, resting his arms on his head. Naruto saw Judo shake his head, attempting to hide a smile.

"Oh, I…I understand. I had to skip my meal for this mission, too." Hinata said with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I interrupted you like that, but it was urgent." Naruto said, smiling at Hinata. Hinata felt her heart melt, and had to remind herself to breathe.

"Oh…ah..it was okay." She managed.

"If you want, you can come with me to Ichiraku's for a bite after this. If they're still open." Naruto offered, smiling slightly at Hinata.

Hinata's heart nearly leapt from her chest. _He's asking me on a date?_, she thought excitedly. Before she could respond, Shikamaru called to them.

"C'mon, The Hokage wants this guy in her office now." He said, beckoning them to come with him. They walked for a short while until a voice called out to them.

"Hinata!" Hiashi's voice carried loudly and viciously. All four turned to regard Hiashi, who was rapidly closing with the group. Judo gripped the sheathe of his _katana_, trying extremely hard to keep his rage in check. Hinata seemed ill at ease, if not outright frightened, by the tone in her father's voice. Hiashi grabbed her wrist forcefully, starting to drag her away.

"Kenjiro-sama wants to speak with you. You have kept him waiting long enough." He said. Hinata whimpered at the harsh treatment, but said nothing.

"Pardon me, Hiashi-sama, but she's on a mission for the Hokage and Jiraya-sama." Shikamaru offered. Hiashi turned quickly on Shikamaru.

"If there's a problem, the Hokage can take it up with Kenjiro-sama, if she so desires. And since _you_ are not the Hokage, nor of noble Hyuuga blood, I would suggest you stay out of our business." He snapped. Shikamaru simply raised a skeptical eyebrow at Hiashi, obviously unimpressed.

"I'll gladly take it up with Kenjiro." Judo said, stepping towards Hiashi. "As a matter of fact, I have _several_ things to take up with that cretin."

Hiashi turned to face Judo. "What did you say?" he asked, attempting to stare down Judo. He was quite unsuccessful. A crowd had begun to form around the group, secretly hoping for a fight.

"Father," Hinata interjected, "This was the man that gave me the message."

Hiashi stared hard at Judo, sizing him up.

"So you're Judo, eh?" Hiashi said with a short laugh.

Judo bowed slightly. "And I see that you are the miserable offspring of that coward Kenjiro." He replied.

Hiashi's expression went from shock to anger. He released Hinata, shoving her away harshly. She tumbled to the ground in a heap.

"Care to tell me the meaning of your message before I destroy you?" Hiashi asked.

Judo felt himself smiling. "I'll not discuss my business with an arrogant whelp of the bastard Hyuuga bloodline." Judo said, intentionally goading Hiashi.

Hiashi dropped into his _Jyuuken_ stance, rage etched on his face. "I'll show you why the Hyuuga are the strongest in Konoha!" he shouted. Judo's smile grew wider, his relaxed stance unchanged.

"Shikamaru! Stop them!" Naruto yelled, moving to help Hinata. Naruto had seen the stance many times in his encounters and training sessions with Neji, and he knew that it could only spell bad news for Judo if Shikamaru couldn't get to them. Fortunately, he was one step ahead of Naruto.

"_Kage Mane no Jutsu!"_ Shikamaru called, forming the hand seal. His shadow pronged out, hoping to catch both Hiashi and Judo, but was too late.

"_Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou!"_ Hiashi exclaimed, attacking Judo with inhuman speed. An almost unperceivable flurry of blows was executed, and Judo became just a blur in his movements as well. Shikamaru's shadow caught up with them a half-second later, freezing them in their position. When the motion had finally settled, Hiashi's index and middle finger of his right hand was extended out, aimed at Judo's heart, signaling the end of the Sixty-four Palms of Divination technique. Hiashi wore an expression of utter disbelief, and expression that spread from him, to Shikamaru and soon to the rest of the crowd.

"It seems the Hyuuga bloodline is not as capable as it once was." Judo said, taking great pleasure in Hiashi's expression. Where Hiashi's final blow should have landed, it was instead intercepted and blocked by Judo's open palm.

Judo had somehow managed to defend against all sixty-four strikes.


	9. The Gentle Way Ch9

"Im…Impossible…," Hiashi muttered, echoing what everyone else was thinking. Shikamaru strained through his disbelief to keep his hold on the two combatants. Even Naruto, half-cradling Hinata, was shocked.

"I trust this wasn't your best attempt?" Judo mocked, straining against Shikamaru's _jutsu_. Hiashi's expression changed from disbelief to anger.

"Nara Shikamaru! Release me from this technique at once!" Hiashi demanded, struggling to face Shikamaru.

"You should be thanking him. If it weren't for his technique, you'd be little more than a memory right now." Judo said. Shikamaru felt his chakra slowly draining; he had to do something fast, before this really got out of hand.

"Hiashi-sama, I'm going to release you first. When I do, you will leave and go wherever you please, so long as it is nowhere near our prisoner." Shikamaru explained.

"Just who do you think you are talking to?" Hiashi asked, obviously angry. Shikamaru swapped his hand signs.

"_Kage Kubishibari no Jutsu!"_ Shikamaru called. The shadow trapping Hiashi started to snake up his body, eventually forming a mock-hand around Hiashi's neck.

"This prisoner is in my care. My orders were to secure him and bring him to the Hokage. If you interfere with my mission, I will consider you a threat, and like any threat, I will neutralize you." Shikamaru explained calmly. Hiashi grunted as the shadow hand squeezed his neck lightly.

"Fine, fine. Release me, then." Hiashi conceded.

"Naruto…" Shikamaru started, but Naruto was already ahead of him.

"_Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"_ Naruto called. He placed himself and his clones in a protective line separating Hiashi and Judo.

"Just in case." Shikamaru said, releasing his technique on Hiashi. Hiashi grimaced, turning and walking away.

"Father…" Hinata uttered quietly. Hiashi threw her a dissatisfied look.

"Now that I've seen this 'Judo', you're no longer useful. Do what you will." Hiashi said coldly. Hinata looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.

"Typical Hyuuga. Picking on the weak, succumbing to the strong." Judo said, loud enough for Hiashi to hear. Hiashi did his best to ignore him.

"I would ask that you not instigate any more fights. I'd like to get to the Hokage's office at some point tonight." Shikamaru said, facing Judo. Judo, in Shikamaru's technique, mimicked his movements. Judo attempted to bow.

"My apologies." He said. Shikamaru released his hold on Judo, and the group resumed their trek.

_Hokage's Office_

Tsunade looked perplexed, even more so than Naruto had ever seen her. Jiraya and Shizune stood by her desk, ready to leap at the man in front of them if needed. Judo, meanwhile, had pulled his arms in through his sleeves, resting them on the inside of his _gi_. His expression was one of mild content, which aggravated Naruto somewhat.

_Who can be so carefree in front of the Hokage and Ero-sennin?_, he wondered. He, Shikamaru and Hinata were standing behind him, blocking any escape he may try to make.

"Did the prisoner give you any trouble?" Tsunade asked Shikamaru, who shrugged and shook his head.

"There was a minor squabble between him and Hyuuga Hiashi, but it was self-defense on his part." Shikamaru explained.

_Really good self defense,_ Naruto thought, replaying Judo and Hiashi's altercation. Tsunade nodded, keeping her eyes locked with Judo's.

"You three are dismissed. Be back here tomorrow morning." Tsunade said, standing. The three _chuunin_ looked at each other, then left the room one by one. Once the door clicked shut, Tsunade waited a few moments in case they were listening by the door. Once she was satisfied, she walked around to the front of the desk.

"I suppose I should ask why you're in Konoha." Tsunade said, crossing her arms and leaning on the front of her desk.

"I seek knowledge." Judo answered. A slight shift in his weight made Shizune tense up.

"I'm aware of that. The real question I'm trying to get at is this. What does a man, who's age is old but unknown, who's chakra is strong and plentiful, and who's knowledge of _ninjutsu, genjutsu _and _taijutsu_ are remarkably top-notch, want with knowledge in Konoha?" Tsunade cocked her head curiously, if not sarcastically.

"You can never be to old or to good to learn." Was Judo's reply. Frustration was beginning to show on Tsunade's face, and she glanced at Jiraya for some kind of help.

"What kind of knowledge are you searching for, specifically?" Jiraya asked. Judo smiled slightly.

"Jiraya-sama, I promised you that under more amicable conditions, I would answer your questions. However, my answer for this question remains the same as when you asked it the first time; I don't know. The knowledge I am entrusted to seek was compiled by a friend of mine, in secret. If he were to direct me to it, then he believes that it is of some use to me."

Jiraya chewed on the inside of his cheek. He had already searched the home where they fought, and found nothing of note. Unless there was something that Judo knew that he didn't…

"That house had been abandoned for years. No one has even been in there to take care of it." Tsunade pointed out. Judo shrugged.

"Be that as it may, it was the last place that my friend lived in, according to your records. He also specifically said that his knowledge was hidden here, in Konoha. If you would allow me to look around the house, I may be able to find something." Judo said.

"I can't let you wander about our village. I have no idea who you are, where you come from or where your allegiances lie. For all I know, this knowledge you seek may be something that will be used against the village. We have too many threats surrounding us, and there are to many mysteries surrounding you." Tsunade said. She glanced at Jiraya, who shrugged an agreement.

Judo thought for a moment. "Will it convince you if I help you with some of these 'threats'?"

"These threats I speak of are threats that cannot be handled normally. For some reason, Konoha build strong _shinobi _who end up leaving and summarily trying to destroy the village." Tsunade lamented.

"Like Uchiha Madara?" Judo asked.

Tsunade and Jiraya were both shocked. Madara had been little more than a memory of harsh times past, and yet this man spoke his name as if they were close friends.

"You…you know of Uchiha Madara?" Jiraya asked.

"In my life time, there have been only two people that have in some way, shape or form garnered the favor of the Kyuubi. One was Uchiha Madara, the other is walking around this village." Judo answered.

"The Kyuubi doesn't favor Naruto. It was sealed inside him at birth. His father sacrificed his life and the well-being of his child to save the village from that monstrosity." Jiraya explained.

Judo shook his head. "I'm well aware of the tragedy that befell this village all those years ago. It was partly our fault that the knowledge to even _summon_ the Kyuubi was revealed, but the point remains…"

"Wait," Tsunade interrupted, "the knowledge to summon the Kyuubi? How was that _partly _your fault?"

Judo sighed and closed his eyes. He slipped up in revealing that nugget of information, and now he would be here longer in an attempt to explain it. Hunger and fatigue gnawed at him, but he knew they wouldn't let him go now that information regarding the mystical beast was in front of them. Judo opened his eyes and delved back into his memories…

_Konoha-outside the Hokage's building_

"My mother is going to chew my ear off when I get home." Shikamaru complained, yawning. The three stood outside the building, contemplating their next move.

"At least you have someone to greet you when you get home. I'll I have are dusty scrolls and my bed." Naruto said, shoving Shikamaru playfully. Shikamaru lazily attempted to slap his hand away.

"I'd take the solitude over my mother's complaining." He said.

"And I'd take your mother's complaining, along with the hot meals she cooks, and the clean house she keeps, and the general company over the solitude." Naruto responded.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "You're so troublesome, Naruto. Alright, I guess I'll go home to my warm meals and what have you. Take it easy." Shikamaru waved as he walked off.

"Well, shall we see if Ichiraku's is open?" Naruto asked, nudging Hinata. Hinata, who had been daydreaming, snapped back to reality.

"I…uh…yes." She managed. She had been contemplating what would happen to her when she got back to her house, as her father and probably great-grandfather would somehow find her at fault for something and no doubt punish her. She entertained the idea of perhaps talking Naruto into letting her sleep at his house, but she figured he would say no, since his mind was focused mostly on Sakura. They started walking down the main road to Ichiraku's in silence, until Naruto spoke.

"Hey, did you ask earlier if I could help you with your training?" Naruto asked. Hinata hesitated, not wanting Naruto to think her weak.

"No…well, yes. I mean…if you can find time. I know that you like to train, and I was hoping that we could train together sometime…" Hinata felt herself turn a shade of red, and thanked the spirits that it was almost to dark for Naruto to see her.

"Well, I don't think we can train tonight, but tomorrow if you don't have anything going on, I'll wait for you at the main gate after breakfast and we can get some training in. Sound good?" Naruto suggested.

_That sounds better than good,_ Hinata thought, but simply nodded. They chatted idly until they reached Ichiraku's, which looked in the process of closing down.

"Aww, don't tell me we're too late!" Naruto protested, pushing aside the curtain and spotting Teuchi and Ayame cleaning up.

"Sorry, Naruto, you're a minute to late." Teuchi said. Hinata pushed aside the curtain and stood next to Naruto.

"C'mon, we've been on a mission all day! We promise we won't be to long!" Naruto said. Hinata put her hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun, I can just get something at home." She said. Naruto looked disappointed, and they both turned to leave.

"Wait!" Teuchi said, causing the two to face him. A wide smile was evident on his face, and even Ayame grinned a little, too.

"I see what's going on. Take a seat, you two, and we'll whip up something." Teuchi said, placing a few pots back on the stove.

"Alright!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Thank you, Teuchi-san." Hinata said. Teuchi just chuckled as he began preparing his ramen. Ayame placed some paper placemats in front of them as they sat. Hinata reached for the chopsticks, and was going to hand Naruto a pair, but in his excitement he also reached for the chopsticks, causing his hand to close around Hinata's. Hinata felt the air leave her, and she instinctively looked at Naruto. Naruto's big blue eyes met hers; they locked for what felt like a long time.

"Ha ha, sorry about that. I wasn't really paying…" Naruto said nervously. He was expecting Hinata to hit him, much like Sakura would have done in that situation. Instead, Hinata let out a nervous laugh.

"No…its okay, really." She managed, feeling her body regaining composure. She handed a pair of chopsticks to Naruto, who accepted them with a sheepish grin. As she reached for another pair, the sleeve of her sweatshirt rode up her arm, revealing bruises where her father had grabbed her earlier.

"Wow, does that hurt?" Naruto asked, motioning to the bruises with his chopsticks. Hinata, realizing what he was looking at, quickly pulled her sleeve down. She was embarrassed for some reason, and wished Naruto hadn't seen her marks.

"Not…not really. Sometimes they do. It's because I'm no good as a _kuniochi_." Hinata dropped her eyes to her plate as she spoke.

"Really? Who said that?" Naruto asked, breaking his chopsticks apart and whittling off the splinters.

"My father. Even my great-grandfather." Hinata said, feeling positively low as she remembered her father's harsh words.

"Well, I don't think you're a bad _kuniochi_." Naruto said, matter-of-factly. Hinata felt her heart jump and her face turn red again, and she looked up at Naruto.

"You…you don't?" she asked, half believing him, half not.

Naruto shook his head. "If you were a bad _kuniochi_, I wouldn't be alive right now. You don't remember the mission we were grouped together for, and we got into a really bad bind, only to have you somehow get us out of it?" Naruto asked.

Hinata thought back to the missions she had with Naruto. "But we failed those missions…" she protested.

Naruto shrugged. "But we all made it out alive, didn't we?"

Hinata had never thought of it that way. Most of the missions she went on, either with her team or attached to another had turned out disastrous at some point or another, and more often than not her and the team she was with ended up failing the mission objective. Every time she reported a failure, her father had criticized her and punished her for bringing shame to the family name, often comparing her to Neji, who had a near-flawless success ratio. But Naruto was right; there were times where she had managed to get them out of a tight situation.

"Besides, Ero-sennin told me that nobody has a perfect success rate. The Third Hokage, Tsunade-sama, Kakashi-sensei, and even Ero-sennin himself all had failures. The most important thing, he told me, was that as long as everyone in the team lived to see another mission, then the real mission was a success." Naruto continued. He felt wise imparting the knowledge he had learned throughout his years. He also saw that his words were having a positive effect on Hinata, who was smiling slightly.

"I wish someone would impart that knowledge to my father." Hinata suddenly blurted. She clasped her hand to her mouth, not believing she said that. Naruto chuckled a little, watching her face turn red again. Teuchi placed two bowls of piping hot beef ramen in front of them, the aroma attacking their senses and making their mouths water.

"No seconds for you tonight, Naruto. Jiraya-sama had your other meal packaged and brought to your home, so if your still hungry, you can eat there." Teuchi warned.

Naruto nodded, clasping his hands together. "Itadakimasu!" he cried, digging into the meal. Hinata smiled at his vigor, taking more conservative bites compared to her 'date'.

After a few moments of eating in relative silence, Naruto wiped his mouth with his sleeve and pointed at Hinata.

"Hey, speaking of training," he said, struggling to finish what was in his mouth, "what's your elemental heritage?"

Hinata thought for a moment. "I…I don't know. I don't think I have one. Why?"

"Because Ero-sennin said he'd train me on my heritage element at some point, and I figured that if your heritage and mine were the same, then he could help train you as well." Naruto explained.

_That would be really nice,_ Hinata thought. "I wouldn't want to bother him. He seems so busy all the time." Hinata said.

Naruto threw her an incredulous look. "Busy peeping at the women's hot springs, maybe. He's nowhere near as bust as he seems. The next time we train, I'll see if you can tag along, okay?" Naruto asked, picking up his bowl and downing the rest of the broth.

"Th..Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hinata said, finishing the last of her ramen. She handed the bowl to Teuchi and reached for her money. Naruto already had his frog-wallet out, and laid some bills on the counter.

"There's some extra for staying open later for us! Thanks you guys, the ramen was excellent!" Naruto said. Teuchi counted the money, finding that Naruto had paid for his and Hinata's.

"Oh, how chivalrous of you!" Ayame cooed, collecting Naruto's plate. Hinata looked dumbfounded.

_Doesn't the man pay…on a date?_, she wondered. She thanked Teuchi and Ayame, and walked up next to Naruto, who was stretching in the middle of the street.

"Where to now?" Naruto asked Hinata. Around them, people's lights were switching off, and Naruto guessed it was near 9 o'clock at night.

"Oh, I suppose I should head home, before my father comes looking for me again." Hinata said.

"Okay. Let's walk." Naruto said, indicating for her to lead the way. Again, Hinata's heart jumped into her throat.

"Oh, no, that's okay. Your home is completely out of the way, you don't have to." Hinata said, smiling in the darkness.

"It's alright. I don't mind walking you home." Naruto insisted. Hinata's smile grew, and her heart fluttered in her chest. They made small talk until they reached the Hyuuga compound, at which they stopped at the large front gate protecting the house. Hinata turned to Naruto.

"Well, here we are." She said, immediately reprimanding herself for pointing out something so obviously stupid.

"Sounds like everyone's asleep." Naruto said, feeling an awkwardness take over him.

"Oh, someone's awake. Neji usually doesn't sleep that much." Hinata said. Naruto looked down at Hinata, who was a few inches smaller than him. The moonlight illuminated her face, glinting off her lavender eyes.

_Wow, she's really…pretty…_, Naruto thought, taking her in.

"Thank you for paying for me." Hinata said, smiling. Her smile, coupled with her moonlit face sent favorable sensations down Naruto's spine.

"Ah…no problem, I owed you anyway, for…interrupting your dinner." Naruto struggled. He felt himself growing red, and chuckled to himself, as he imagined how Hinata felt.

"What are you laughing about?" Hinata asked, hearing his chuckle.

"Nothing, it's just….you're really pretty when you smile." Naruto blurted.

Hinata felt the air leave her lungs again. She couldn't believe that Naruto just called her pretty. Naruto had no idea why he said that, and he mistook Hinata's bewildered expression as one of contempt.

"No, see…I meant…" Naruto started, before the sliding gate interrupted them. Both turned to see Neji, wearing simply pants and shoes, his hair flowing around him. His lavender eyes held no kindness or compassion that Hinata's did, and instead pierced the pair as he looked at them in turn.

"Naruto-kun, thank you for making sure Hinata found her way home safely." Neji said.

"Ah…no problem, Neji." Naruto responded, feeling like a complete jackass.

"Hinata, you should come in now. Hiashi-sama and Kenjiro-sama will want to see you in the morning." Neji said, ushering Hinata in the house.

"So…are we still on for training tomorrow?" Naruto asked as Neji began closing the gate.

"I'll try!" came Hinata's reply, probably the loudest he had ever heard her. Neji slammed the gate shut, and Naruto heard it lock. He stared at the gate for a moment, not believing that he said what he did to Hinata. He jammed his hands in his pockets and began making his way back to his home, his thoughts all abuzz. Hinata's smiling face had imprinted itself into his consciousness, and he was starting to feel the same way about her as he did Sakura.

_What wrong with liking two girls? Ero-sennin does it all the time,_ he thought to himself, comparing Hinata and Sakura. They both were good-looking, although Hinata is more conservative in her dress than Sakura is.

_She doesn't hit me nearly as much as Sakura-chan does,_ Naruto argued to himself. _She seems a lot more patient with me than Sakura is, too. Well, up until I ruined it at the end, there._

Naruto turned a corner, coming to a building that contained his apartment. He decided to forego the stairs, opting instead to practice molding his chakra and walking up the wall. He focused, making it to his railing and pulling himself over. He fidgeted with the lock for a moment, finally managing the door open. He didn't bother flicking on the light, instead he removed his sandals and made his way to his room. He stripped down to his undershirt and boxers, and grabbed a scroll that Jiraya had given him off his bookcase. He sat on his bed, half studying the scroll, half thinking about Hinata and the bruises on her wrist. When he felt tired enough, he rolled the scroll back up and put it away. As he made his way back to his bed, he glanced out the window, spotting the Hokage's building. The light of the main office was still on.

_I wonder what they're talking about with Judo in there,_ he wondered, making himself comfortable in his bed.


	10. The Gentle Way Ch10

_Hokage's Office_

"Alright, let me get this straight…" Jiraya said, rubbing his chin in thought, "Your 'clan' were dedicated to the Death God, going around and basically assassinating people before _shinobi_ even existed, and these _bijuu_ were created to be bound to you as some sort of…reward?"

Judo nodded. "In a world were the secrets of _ninjutsu_ were becoming more and more mainstream, we needed something to tip the playing field in our favor. The _bijuu_ we bound to us in a way that frogs are bound to you, Jiraya-sama." He explained. Tsunade had let Jiraya take over the questioning, and Shizune was busy writing down important points to reference later. Fatigue was evident on all of them, and Judo wished nothing more than to collapse for a few hours, but they pressed on.

"And the secrets that your clan had of the _bijuu _eventually became mainstream as well, I imagine?" Jiraya asked.

"Yes. And, no." Judo answered.

Jiraya glanced at Tsunade, who simply shook her head. "Any way you could clarify that?" he pressed.

Judo shrugged. "The _bijuu_ were never meant to fall into the hands of…normal people. However, normal people tend to be curious and greedy, and they also have a nasty habit of performing despicable acts in exchange for power."

"You're talking about Uchiha Madara, correct?" Jiraya asked, stretching.

"Not at this moment. While I believe that Madara summoned the Kyuubi when he did, he had help in obtaining the knowledge." Judo explained, flashing back to the night of the slaughter. He composed himself, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Jiraya was about to ask another question when Tsunade cut him off.

"We've been at this for some time now. Dawn will be breaking in a few hours, and I need to get some sleep." She said, a yawn emphasizing her point. Jiraya conceded, walking over to Judo and extending his hand.

"Perhaps we'll go get some drinks sometime." He offered. Judo clasped his hand in return.

"Perhaps we shall." He answered.

"You are welcome to stay at the hotel near the gate, so long as I have your word that you won't cause any more trouble." Tsunade said. Judo bowed politely.

"I will endeavor to not disturb you for the remainder of my stay." He promised. Tsunade shook her head, realizing that was probably the closest thing to Judo's word she would get. Judo bowed as he left the room, thanking the Hokage for her hospitality. He walked in relative silence, down the spiral staircase and onto the empty streets of Konoha. He stopped for a moment to get his bearings, a felt a slight tingle pulling at him from the west. He focused on it, realizing it to be the Kyuubi's spiritual emanation. Judo felt bad for the blonde-haired kid whose body it invaded, as it was probably giving him horrible nightmares in order to reach out like that. Judo walked towards the main gate, looking for the hotel the Hokage had spoke of. The tingle seemed to be following him, and Judo wondered if someone was using _genjutsu_ on him, or if it was just his nerves. He stayed alert, finding the hotel and checking into a room. He unpacked his meager belongings, using the water bowl provided to splash cold water on his face. Judo folded his weathered _gi _and _hakama_ meticulously, and kept his sword close to him. He tossed and turned for a few minutes, the comfort of the hotel bedroll being almost too comfortable for him. As he was slipping off into sleep, he felt the tingle again, only this time it was audible as well as sensational. Judo woke up immediately, finding himself staring at the angry eyes and malicious grin of the Kyuubi.

"_**It has been some time since I have felt your presence, Gekido-sama. Are you so ashamed of your gift that you would hide yourself from me?"**_ the Kyuubi's grin seemed to grow in intensity. Judo looked around the room, figuring that the Kyuubi was causing Naruto to have nightmares so it could reach him.

"That is not my name, demon." Judo said bluntly, staring directly into the Kyuubi's eyes. He felt the chaotic anger and want for destruction emanating from the Kyuubi's being. Judo kept his mind at peace, trying to block the feelings from his mind.

"_**You can alter the name you give to these petty humans, and you can portray a different personality to them, but I know what you truly are, just as you know what I truly am."**_ The Kyuubi paced back and forth, keeping it's eyes on Judo as if he were prey. It was then that Judo noticed the cell bars, and the powerful and complicated seal on them. He touched the cell, feeling the different powers flowing through them.

"The boy's will is quite strong, isn't it? Does it infuriate you that someone so young and inexperienced has been able to keep you trapped for so long?" Judo asked, smiling back at the Kyuubi. The Kyuubi snarled in rage, slamming his being into the bars violently. Judo didn't even flinch.

"_**This child is little more than a vessel for my will, though he does not know it. Strong as his will may be, he has tasted the overwhelming power I possess, and his reliance on it grows with each passing day. I will soon be chaos incarnate, and I will sow death and destruction on this world and the next, until there is nothing but my supreme being left."**_ The Kyuubi cackled, his nine tails all twitching in anticipation. Judo's thoughts sped to Naruto. He possessed this being of immense hatred and fury, yet the boy has either suppressed the urges it provides or is totally ignorant of them, save for when he becomes emotional.

"_**Do you remember when you first tasted my power? When our bond was complete, and your being became one with mine? Do you remember the feeling of pure unadulterated ecstasy when that entire village felt the wrath of the soul-collector Gekido?"**_ the Kyuubi flashed the memories in front of Judo, who watched in disgust as a younger version of himself, surrounded by the Kyuubi's chakra, rained hell down onto a village whose name he couldn't remember. The few _shinobi_ that were protecting the village fought valiantly, but were unable to overcome the awesome might of their enemy. 'Gekido' laughed a maniacal laugh as he destroyed the _shinobi _in turn, his red eyes reflecting rage and exhilaration at the unfolding carnage. The people of the village fled as their homes and loved ones were annihilated, their pleas and screams falling on the deaf ears of Gekido, the Soul-Collector. The vision faded after a while, and Judo felt shame and anger for what he had done.

"_**That is one of my most favored memories, Gekido. I believed that, even though I was a gift to you, that you were a gift to me, as well. This is how I know who you really are, Gekido, despite the fallacy that you have built around yourself."**_ The Kyuubi prodded. Judo stared hard at the demon, allowing himself to calm.

"Then you know me no longer, demon. My name is Judo, and I will see to it that Naruto knows full well the danger he carries, and also, how to make it so that he never has a need for you ever again." He said, walking away from the cell. He heard the demon snarl viciously, and slam against the cell again.

"_**At least Uchiha Madara and Hyuuga Kenjiro knew what real power was, and never hesitated to use it! It was why your bloodline was killed, because it was weak! You would be nothing without my power!"**_ the Kyuubi raged. Judo stopped walking away, doing his best to keep the anger from welling up inside of him.

"_**Yes…let your hatred for the Hyuuga flow. Let your being bond with my essence once again. Together, we can give him the punishment he has for so long avoided. Together, we can show him the wrath of the true Gekido. Together, we can avenge your wife, and your children!"**_ the Kyuubi coaxed. Judo turned and walked back towards the cell, seeing the malicious grin of the demon fox hold a slight tinge of hope.

"_**What say you, Gekido?"**_ it asked.

"My name is Judo." Judo replied, dissipating his anger. The Kyuubi's expression went from hopeful to irate, and it lashed out at Judo through the bars of the cell. Judo felt the excessively large claws pierce his flesh, and he awoke with a start, sitting upright in his bed. Sweat soaked his body, and adrenalin was pumping through his system. Judo could see the first lights of dawn through his window, and somewhere off in the distance, a morning bird sang. Judo could hear the echoing laughter of the Kyuubi, and placed his head in his hands, considering his next course of action.

_Naruto's Apartment_

"No!" Naruto yelled as he woke. His pulse was racing and sweat soaked his undershirt and sheets. His eyes darted around the room, ensuring his safety as he tried to get his breathing under control. His dreams had started off nicely, with him trying to coerce Hinata to take a bath with him, but then suddenly turned sour. He remembered seeing the nine-tailed fox talking to someone from beyond his cage, but Naruto was to far away in his dream, and no matter how much he ran or tried in some way to close the distance, the man never came any closer. He couldn't make out what they were talking about, but he did hear something about Uchiha and Hyuuga. At the very end of his nightmare, before the nine-tailed fox attacked and killed the man, the man mention his name, but for some reason Naruto couldn't hear what it was. It sounded simple, but it was enough to infuriate the Kyuubi into attacking. Naruto shuffled out of his bed, the feel of the wooden floor giving him a modicum of comfort. He glanced out the window, watching the sun start to rise and begin a new day in Konoha. Naruto didn't feel particularly rested, but he had a training date with Hinata that he didn't feel like missing. He made his way to the shower, hoping the cold water would help him wake up. As he soaked under it for a while, his thoughts floated around his impromptu date with Hinata last night. He was becoming more enamored with her, now that he was getting to know her. Naruto toyed with the idea of asking her on another date as he got dressed, zipping up his jacket and making sure his forehead protector was tight. He would have to see the Hokage before he got breakfast to see if he was issued any missions. Naruto stepped out onto his catwalk, watching the sun rise and wake the inhabitants of Konoha. He leapt off, making his way across the rooftops to the Hokage's office.


	11. The Gentle Way Ch11

Naruto landed just shy of the entrance to the Hokage's building, eyeing Judo curiously. He glanced around, wondering if someone were playing a trick on him, but as no one was up at this early hour, Naruto could only assume that the image of Judo was real.

"Shouldn't you be in jail?" Naruto asked, walking up casually next to the strange man. Judo's expression betrayed no hint of what he was thinking, and his icy blue eyes scanned Naruto, making him a bit uncomfortable. Judo circled Naruto, keeping his expression neutral. After a few seconds, Naruto broke the silence.

"Look, if you want a fight…" he started, bringing his hands together to form a seal.

"I don't." Judo said flatly, staring Naruto in the eye. Naruto felt his frustration grow.

_Who the hell does this guy think he is?_, he thought.

"You've been through quite a few tragic ordeals in this life, haven't you?" Judo asked, his expression still not changing. Naruto shook his head, more in agitation than as an answer.

"What would you know?" Naruto responded. His thoughts suddenly went to the Hokage and Ero-Sennin, wondering why they let this man go instead of throwing him in prison or worse.

"I know a lot more than you, Uzimaki Naruto. And I wish to teach you what I know." Judo explained.

"Jiraya and Kakashi-sensei teach me plenty. Thanks, but no thanks." Naruto answered.

"I'm not talking about simply showing you _ninjutsu_ techniques. There's more to being a _shinobi _than merely mastering hand seals." Judo explained, pointing to Naruto's chest. Naruto griped it, instantly knowing what he was talking about. While the Kyuubi had given him near limitless power, every time he used it he accidentally lost control of himself. Sakura had been hurt a few times by his actions, though she had overlooked them as a part of the job.

"There's something terrible inside you, Naruto. The Kyuubi is a powerful and dangerous creature, but it is also cunning and intelligent. It has already found a way to leak through the seal placed on it by lending you more and more power, because you think you need it. Its power is like a drug, and the more you use it, the more you think you will need it, until it finally consumes you, and there is no distinction between you and it." Judo continued. Naruto felt despair take him. He didn't ask for this thing to be sealed in him, and now he was pretty much fated to become it eventually.

"But it doesn't have to be that way." Judo said, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder. The gesture reminded him of when he was first accepted by Kakashi-sensei, and then later on by Jiraya. Naruto looked up at Judo, surprised to see a slight smile on his face.

"A being of such immense power does have a fault, however. I can teach you how to use this fault to your advantage, but it will not be easy. The choice is yours." Judo pulled his hand away, his smile still on his face.

"How can I trust you? There are countless people hunting me down as we speak to get the Kyuubi from me. What do I have that proves you aren't one of them?" Naruto asked, becoming defensive. Things were starting to go right in his life, and the last thing he needed is to have someone sacrifice him and endanger the village.

"You are right to be suspicious, young one. There is nothing that I can offer you except my word. I have already tasted the overwhelming power that the Kyuubi can offer, and I have suffered the consequences on more than one occasion. Believe me when I say that I have no interest in the Kyuubi, save to keep it from destroying you." Judo said.

"And what's the catch? I don't have that much money, and I don't have any secrets or anything like that. If you don't want the Kyuubi, like you say you don't, then what is it you want?" Naruto asked cynically.

Judo waved his hand as if to disregard the notion. "I need no payment. All I wish is for you to learn. If you grasp the teachings I have to offer, and become a better person for it, then that is all the compensation I desire."

Naruto shook his head in disbelief. "As much as I'd like to believe your offer, I can't help thinking that there's something more to it. You can't be that generous that you simply want to train me. Even Jiraya-sama made me buy him food and whatnot, in exchange for training." Naruto argued. Judo simply shrugged.

"Everything I have told you is true. If you wish to learn from me, seek me out. I'm living at the Floating Leaf hotel, just inside the main gate. Good day, Naruto." Judo said, turning and making his way down towards the front gate. Naruto pondered going after him, but reminded himself of his obligations. Perhaps later that night he would seek Judo out, but for now he had to check in with the Hokage. Naruto bounded up the stairs, turning the corner to the entrance of the Hokage's office and almost colliding with Sakura. He stopped in shock for a moment, not expecting to see her there.

"Sakura! You're…", he began, until Sakura raised her hand to silence him.

"What were you two talking about?" she asked, a hint of venom in her voice. Naruto's mind raced for a moment, attempting to figure out what she was on about.

"You mean me and Judo?" Naruto asked, running his hand through his hair. Sakura crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. Naruto noticed that she looked pale and weakened, and was about to say something before getting interrupted again.

"You two were talking. I heard something about training." She muttered.

"Uh…yeah, he said he wanted to train me. Said he could teach me a few things about controlling the Kyuubi." Naruto explained. He was puzzled at where Sakura was going with this, and let his answer linger in the air for a long moment.

"And what did you say?" Sakura asked, closing her eyes. Naruto felt himself become defensive, like he was being interrogated.

"I didn't say anything. I was going to check with Tsunade-sama and Ero-sennin."

Sakura nodded. She mumbled something barely audible under her breath, and Naruto leaned in.

"What was that?" he asked, straining his ears. Sakura opened her eyes and shoved him away, nearly putting him through a wall in the process.

"Nothing. Forget it. The Hokage is expecting you." She spat, making her way past the stunned Naruto. She clung tightly to the railing, as if she was going to collapse at any moment.

"Are you alright, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, watching her make her way down the steps. She didn't answer, nor even acknowledge that she heard him. Naruto watched her slowly descend the staircase, shaking his head in frustration and confusion.

_Maybe Tsunade will have some answers,_ he thought.

_Hyuuga Household_

Hinata woke with a start. She had beaten her alarm clock by a half-hour, although her previous night's sleep was anything but restful. Thoughts of the night's events and Naruto danced through her brain, prompting her to worry about the smallest things. She debated whether to bathe before or after her training with Naruto, and opted for both because she didn't want to smell bad to him. While in the bath, she considered putting her hair in a different style, although none came to mind. She wished that she had the fashion knowledge of Ino or even Sakura, who always managed to look pretty, even when they weren't trying. She dressed herself in front of her mirror, wondering if she should change her outfit, then deciding against it.

_If he really likes you, it's for __**you**_, she reminded herself. She applied a small amount of perfume to her neck, taking one last look in the mirror.

_It's not like he's going to ask you to marry him. He just would like a training partner, and he happened to choose you,_ she told herself. That calmed her nerves a bit, and she took a deep breath, heading for the door to her room. She glanced at the clock as she turned the doorknob, which read 6:15.

_I still have 45 minutes?_, she realized disbelievingly. She let her head hit the door, cursing herself silently for acting like a complete fool.

_Might as well start breakfast for the family,_ she decided, opening her door. She drew a sharp breath as her eyes met with Neji's, who stood patiently outside her door.

"You're up earlier than usual." He pointed out. Hinata felt waves of nervousness wash over her. Even though she was a member of the head family, and Neji only a branch member, within the household he was her superior both in age and in skill, as his early ascension to _jounin_ evidenced. He was her father's favorite, as Hinata was often compared in a very poor light to him.

"Hiashi-sama and Kenjiro-sama believe that I should accompany you, so that you won't go around revealing any more information to Judo than you have already." Neji explained. Hinata remembered back to before she was sent to bed, her father Hiashi and her great-grandfather had questioned her extensively on what she told Judo. When it was revealed that she told him Kenjiro was living with them, Hiashi went to beat her, but was stopped by Kenjiro. She had a feeling that she would be walking on egg shells the next few days, as Hiashi would be looking for any reason to discipline her. She bowed and made her way past Neji, not wanting to deal with him at the moment. She made her way to the kitchen to start breakfast for her family and collect her thoughts. She knew Naruto probably wouldn't be happy if Neji was following her around, but there was nothing she could think of to change that. As eggs and various other foods began to cook, Neji appeared in the doorway.

"How was your night with Naruto?" he asked, taking a seat at the table. Hinata froze for a moment, not quite sure how to respond. She had an absolute blast, but she didn't want Neji reporting that back to Hiashi and Kenjiro, as they may deem it fit to keep her from Naruto as well.

"It was…different." She managed, attempting to be as ambiguous as possible. Neji regarded her curiously as she bustled about the kitchen. She placed a cup of tea in front of him, avoiding eye contact as much as she could.

"I heard him say you were…pretty… before I opened the gate." Neji remarked, sipping his tea. "That's something, isn't it?"

Hinata felt her face turning bright red, and tried her best to hide it. Neji watched the reaction with a mixture of jealousy and pride.

"You really like him, don't you?" Neji asked in a tone that suggested she give him a straight answer. Hinata froze again, this time locking eyes with Neji.

"Yes…" she said, barely a whisper. She watched as a smile crept across Neji's face as he turned back to his tea.

"I'm happy for you." He said. Hinata was surprised to say the least, her expression betraying her emotions to Neji. He finished his tea, stood and walked close to Hinata, who suddenly wanted to be somewhere else.

"I'm not going to follow you, or spy on you, or otherwise baby-sit you. You're a grown woman, for the most part, and frankly, I don't have the time or the inclination. Hiashi and Kenjiro-sama don't know that I've told you of their plans, so if they see you without me and confront you, act like we never had this conversation, understand?" Neji asked, his lavender eyes boring into Hinata's. Hinata tried to agree, to say anything to him, but all she could manage was a head nod.

"One more thing…" Neji said, leaning in close, "Did Judo really defend against Hiashi's _Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou_?" he whispered.

"Uhm…yes, as far as I could tell." Hinata answered, taken aback by the question.

"All of the strikes?" he pressed

"Y…Yeah." She answered. Neji looked in thought for a moment, before backing away and walking towards the front of the house.

"Oh, and good luck with Naruto-kun." He called over his shoulder as he left. Hinata's mind was in overdrive, trying to understand what had possessed her 'brother' to act so uncharacteristically kind to her. The smell of something burning, however, brought her out of her daze, and she quickly tried to salvage the breakfast.

_Well, I guess I won't make that good a wife…_, she thought, throwing the ruined breakfast away.

_Hokage's Office_

"So I have the morning to do whatever?" Naruto asked, hoping for the best. He was very much looking forward to meeting with Hinata, although he reminded himself that it was just to help him grow stronger.

"Yes, yes. No missions that need immediate attention are in, so if you're needed, we'll send someone." Tsunade said, not looking up. She seemed frustrated at something on her desk, notes that she was running through almost feverishly. Naruto figured she lost an important paper and went to excuse himself from the room until a thought popped into his head.

"Why didn't you throw that Judo guy in jail?" he asked. Tsunade stopped what she was doing and looked up at Naruto. She sat back in her chair and folded her hands in front of her face, letting a long and uncomfortable moment pass between them.

"Judo is…an interesting case. We don't want to jail him because he possesses vital information that we could use, and also, he hasn't really done anything wrong." She answered finally.

"Hasn't done anything wrong? He put Kakashi-sensi and Sakura-chan in the hospital! He's dangerous!" Naruto protested.

"It was little more than a huge misunderstanding and misinformation between parties that caused what happened to happen. Judo has given his word that he isn't going to stir up any more trouble, and if he does, then I will personally see to him myself, along with Jiraya and the whole ANBU team. I doubt he's so powerful that he can withstand an onslaught of such scale." Tsunade responded, and the look in her eye convinced Naruto without a doubt that she would. He thought back to the conversation they had outside the office, and how Judo seemed to be sincerely concerned about him.

_Did Tsunade put him up to it?_, he wondered.

"What's on your mind?" Tsunade asked, noting Naruto's expression. Naruto shook his head clear.

"Ahh…Judo stopped me before I came in here. Said that he wanted to train me and teach me a few things about…controlling the Kyuubi. I was just wondering if you suggested it to him and if I should take him up on his offer or not." Naruto said, running his hand through his hair. That reminded him of an earlier event also, but Tsunade answered him before he could mention his run in with Sakura.

"No, we didn't say anything about you to him. Hmm…" Tsunade pondered the idea for a moment, "I think it would be beneficial to both of us if you took him up on his offer." She stated.

"How so?" Naruto asked, genuinely interested.

"Well," Tsunade began, leaning forward on her desk, "You've always complained about how Jiraya doesn't train you anymore, and since I have him running around trying to find out what Akatsuki and Sasuke's newly-formed 'Snake' group are up to, it seems that he's going to be busy for quite some time. Judo-sama is just as powerful if not more so than Jiraya, so you'd be learning a great deal from him."

Naruto was slightly shocked at the respect Tsunade showed to Judo. "And this benefits you how?" he asked.

"You would be keeping an eye on him, and anything he does that seemed out of place or in any way a threat to this village, you would report to me." Tsunade explained.

Naruto nodded. "That sounds good. I guess I'll go let him know that I'm taking him up on his offer." Naruto turned to walk out of the room.

"Oh, and one last thing," Naruto blurted, suddenly remembering Sakura, "What's the deal with Sakura? Did you clear her for duty already?"

Tsunade regarded Naruto curiously. "No, I haven't. She was still in the hospital the last time I saw her, and she was just coming out of the _genjutsu_. Wasn't too happy about it, either. Why?"

"Uh…because she stopped me in the hallway as soon as you come up the steps to get to your office. She was acting strange." Naruto said, motioning to the door for emphasis.

"What did she say?" Tsunade said, a hint of concern in her voice.

"She wanted to know what Judo and I were talking about, and I told her pretty much what I told you. Then she said something I couldn't hear and walked off. She didn't look to good, either." Naruto explained.

Tsunade stared into space as if she suddenly realized something. She jumped up from her desk and ran out the door, dragging Naruto with her as she went.

"Whoa! What's the problem?" Naruto asked, struggling to keep up with Tsunade. They rounded the bend that lead to the staircase.

"Which way did Judo go?" Tsunade demanded. Naruto looked at her, confused.

"Huh?" he managed.

Tsunade spun to face Naruto, a look of urgency in her eyes. "When he was done talking to you, where did he walk off to?" she repeated. Naruto motioned towards the front gate.

"Did he mention where he was going?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto shook his head. "Only that he was residing at the Floating Leaf hotel." He offered.

"We have to hurry!" Tsunade yelled, leaping onto a nearby rooftop, followed by a bewildered Naruto.

_Konoha Village—The Floating Leaf_

Judo climbed over the last step leading to his room. His thoughts were with the blonde-haired kid, Naruto, and the hopes that he would do the right thing and seek him out before it was too late. As he reached for the door, Judo considered attempting to visit Joriu's house and search for the knowledge hidden there. He opened his door, thinking about what the knowledge might be, when he detected a faint chakra signature inside his room. He quickly opened the door all the way, pinning whoever it was he sensed there. The person struggled for a moment, then the door splintered into a million pieces, sending Judo rolling away. He recovered in time to see a _kunai_ in mid-flight, aimed directly at him. He quickly drew his sword and deflected the weapon, balancing himself and awaiting another attack. When nothing came immediately, he took stock of his opponent.

Pink hair hung frazzled down to her chin, and her face was lined with sweat and fatigue. Every breath she took seemed like an effort. Her stance was weak, as if it were a challenge to hold her body up of her own will. The look of sheer determination in her eyes, however, bade Judo to not underestimate her. She held two more _kunai_ in her hands, more for defense than anything else. He recognized her as the _kuniochi_ he had engaged the other day, though it seems she hadn't fully recovered from the effect of his _genjutsu_.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Judo asked, sheathing his sword. He kept his stance relaxed, not letting his guard drop. Sakura tried to control her breathing as she spoke.

"Do you…have any idea…what you put me through?" she spat, trying to right her body. Her body was in no mood to accommodate her brains request, but she powered through it, adopting a stance similar to the one she tried on him earlier.

"I can imagine that it was very hard for you, but you left me with no choice." Judo explained. He let his hands drop, attempting to placate her. "There is no need for this. Please, calm yourself."

Sakura grit her teeth so hard she thought they were going to break. She flashed back to the visions that played in her mind, of the atrocities she was forced to witness and enjoy because of Judo. Her eyes met with Judo's, and he saw the fire that burned behind them.

"Oh, there is a need for this! DIE!" she screamed, lunging with her _kunai_.


	12. The Gentle Way Ch12

The sound of glass breaking surprised everyone going about their business in the shops surrounding Konoha's front gate. Those not immediately running for cover after the initial showering of glass were treated to a spectacle not often witnessed within Konoha's protected walls. Judo landed cleanly on his feet, with Sakura not to far behind him. She stumbled as she landed, which provided Judo the opportunity he needed. He rushed in, intercepting Sakura's _kunai_ swipe with his near hand. His other hand reached around her waist, grabbing her belt. Before Sakura could react, she felt herself being lifted effortlessly over Judo's hips, and landing harshly on the unforgiving Konoha soil. One of her _kunai_ went skittering away, and she clung to her remaining weapon as she pulled herself to her feet. Judo backed away, allowing Sakura to stand.

"Please stop this. I have no desire to fight you." Judo pleaded. Sakura faced her opponent, bringing her _kunai_ to bear.

"I have quite the desire to fight you, however." She retorted, darting in. She measured her swipes and stabs, making sure not to overbalance herself and give Judo another opportunity to attack. She feinted one way and another, utilizing every trick she learned while in Tsunade's tutelage, but nothing was working. Her opponent was too fast and too knowledgeable to be deceived. Sakura felt her strength waning, and tried one last gambit, swiping low and reversing her grip to lunge for Judo's neck. Judo saw through the ruse, however, and dodged the attack, stepping to Sakura's outside. As he did, he grabbed the lapel of her top, tugging slightly to get her off balanced. Judo then kicked his leg up and away, sweeping Sakura's legs out from under her in the process. As her body shifted, Judo followed through with his grip, adding more power to the throw. Sakura felt the air leave her lungs as she was slammed to the ground, and made a feeble attempt to slash at Judo. Judo used his free hand to intercept the attack, then manipulated Sakura's wrist into a joint lock. Sakura felt the incredible pain in her wrist and forearm, and released the _kunai_. Judo let her go, kicking the _kunai_ a safe distance away, and stood facing his opponent. Sakura managed to force herself to her knees, holding her injured wrist and looking up at Judo.

"I can help you if you yield." Judo said flatly. Sakura felt her anger grow, but her body refused to listen anymore. She bowed her head, feeling shame and sorrow replace her anger.

"You need rest if you are going to recover, young one." Judo explained, kneeling so he was eye level with the _kuniochi._ A small crowd had gathered, some he recognized from his run-in with the Hyuuga the night before.

"I can't rest, because of what you did to me. Everytime I close my eyes I see the…horrors…" Sakura said, trailing off. Judo nodded his understanding.

"Can you stand?" he asked. Sakura shook her head, becoming aware of the gathering crowd. She wanted to hide her face, but nothing in her body was responding. She felt Judo touch her, and soon found herself cradled in his arms and being lifted with relative ease. She couldn't resist even if she wanted to, and she allowed her body to be little more than dead weight in his hands. She hoped, vaguely, that Judo wasn't a pervert. Judo made his way back to the hotel, leaping up to his room through the hole in the wall. He laid Sakura on the bed, removing her sandals and making sure she was comfortable.

"You're…not going to do anything, are you?" she asked, throwing Judo an incredulous look. Judo smiled, forming a few hand seals.

"Perhaps when you're well into your hundreds, I'll consider you. Now, I'm going to perform another _genjutsu_ on you. Try not to resist it." Judo explained. Sakura grew more uneasy, remembering the last _genjutsu_ Judo used.

"Why are you doing that?" she asked, looking for an exit.

"Your getting flashbacks, it happens to some people who experience a particularly powerful _genjutsu_. I'm going to try to counter the damage your mind has retained with something more to your liking." Judo said, forming a few more hand seals.

"_Sakura no Yume."_ Judo whispered, locking eyes with Sakura. Sakura registered her name, and was about to ask something, but everything around her changed. She was lying in a warm field, surrounded by beautiful cherry blossom trees. The blossoms themselves fell around her, tickling her skin and soothing her, and the grass she was lying on massaged her. She felt content; all her angst and shame melted away into a sense of ease. She closed her eyes, feeling the cherry blossoms kiss her skin like a romantic lover, and slipped into a restful slumber.

Judo watched as Sakura nodded off, a smile etching its way onto her face. He pulled the covers of the bed up around Sakura's chin and stood, turning to the hole in the wall. In retrospect, it wasn't the most subtle idea to escape through the wall, but Sakura had left him little choice when she attacked him. He was considering heading down to the desk and offering to pay for it, and the door, until he was interrupted by the intrusion of Tsunade and Naruto. They looked like they had been in a rush.

"Can I help you?" Judo asked, turning to face them.

"What happened here?" Naruto asked, surveying the damage.

"A misunderstanding. Hopefully, everything has been resolved now." Judo answered.

"Did Sakura…" Tsunade trailed off, gesturing to the hole in the wall. Judo shook his head.

"That was more my fault than anything else. Sakura was hurting mentally, and didn't know what she was doing. She should be fine after her rest." Judo said, gesturing to Sakura. Tsunade made her way over to Sakura's sleeping form. She started to scan Sakura's body for injuries. While she did so, Naruto walked next to Judo.

"What was wrong with her?" Naruto asked.

"Your friend was suffering flashbacks because of the technique I used on her that day on the roof. Usually, a technique like that will dissipate after a few hours, and leave no lasting effects, but it seems that her mind is susceptible to prolonged damage from harmful _genjutsu_." Judo explained. Naruto nodded, not quite grasping what Judo was talking about.

"So you made her take a nap?" Naruto asked.

"Not quite. I used a different, more peaceful _genjutsu_ to allow her to sleep."

Naruto thought about that for a moment. "That's…kinda simple." He said. Judo pat Naruto's head, smiling.

"Sometimes the simplest things are the most effective. You'll learn that." Judo said. Tsunade walked back up to the both of them.

"She has no physical injuries, and whatever you did to her seems to be helping. I'd prefer that she be taken back to the hospital, however, in case something does go wrong." Tsunade said.

"Go ahead. She won't be awake until at least later tonight." Judo said.

Tsunade picked Sakura up, cradling her much the same way Judo had. Naruto grabbed her boots and draped them over Tsunade's arm.

"I hope you're alright, Sakura-chan." He whispered. Tsuande turned and walked into the hallway, leaving the two in silence.

"Have you thought about my proposal?" Judo asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah…Tsunade-sama thinks that I should train under you. I guess you convinced her when you two were talking earlier." Naruto said.

"Very well. We'll start right now. Come." Judo said, leaping out the hole in the wall and onto the street below. Naruto felt a rush of excitement at the prospect of learning new _jutsu_, but it faded as he remembered a prior commitment.

"Actually, Judo-sensei," Naruto said, landing next to him on the street, "Right now is kind of a bad time."

"First of all, don't call me 'sensei'. Secondly, why not right now? Do you have somewhere to be?" Judo asked.

"Ah, well, I promised Hinata that I'd train with her this morning." Naruto said, slightly embarrassed.

"The Hyuuga child?" Judo asked. Almost on cue, Hinata appeared around the corner, spotting Naruto and Judo. As she walked towards them, Judo expression changed to something resembling discontent, though he hid it from her view.

"H..Hi, Naruto. Ready to train?" she asked, fidgeting nervously. She could feel her heart rate rising, though she tried to keep it under control. Naruto nodded, smelling a sweet scent.

_Is she wearing perfume?_ He wondered.

"Hey Hinata, you remember Judo right?" Naruto motioned to Judo, who was doing his best to appear cordial. Hinata bowed, not knowing quite how to address him.

"He's going to be my new _sensei_ while Ero-sennin is away." Naruto continued.

"Oh." Hinata said, looking downtrodden. "Does that mean we…?" she asked

"No, no, we can go train right now. Actually…" Naruto thought, looking at Judo then back at Hinata, "Judo-sama, do you mind watching us and giving some advice? That is, if you don't mind, Hinata." Naruto said, placing his hand on Hinata's shoulder. Hinata felt her face get hot, half because she was in an awkward position and half because Naruto was touching her.

"Uhm…n-no, I don't mind." Hinata managed finally. Naruto smiled at her, which made her heart melt. He looked back at Judo, who wore a puzzled expression on his face.

"Well, Judo-sama? Do you mind?" Naruto asked.

Every fiber of Judo's being told him to not accept, in fact to demand that Hinata leave if they were to train. But compassion for Naruto went against his better judgment.

"If that's what you desire…" Judo said, forcing a smile.

"Alright! C'mon, I know just the place!" Naruto said, grabbing Hinata by the hand and practically dragging her out the front gate. Judo sighed, smiling to himself as he trailed behind, giving the apparently love struck Hyuuga time alone with Naruto.

_Hyuuga Household_

Kenjiro finished writing something down on a piece of paper, looking up at Hiashi.

"It would seem that Judo has become more powerful over the years." He said. Hiashi shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. All I know is that he is powerful _now_. He blocked all…" he started, before Kenjiro raised a hand to silence him.

"I heard it the first time. Judo has dedicated his remaining life to finding and killing me. I'm sure he's found counters to all my old tricks." Kenjiro said, rolling three papers into tight scrolls and placing his seal on them.

"What will you do?" Hiashi asked.

"He doesn't know all my tricks, and he's not stupid enough to attack me directly. I'm safe, but only for the moment. You will take these and send them out to their perspective owners. My hawk knows their locations." Kenjiro explained.

"Reinforcements?" Hiashi asked, eyeing the scrolls.

"More or less. Like minded people whom would stand to gain much if they destroyed Judo. Send them out immediately." Kenjiro ordered. Hiashi bowed and accepted the scrolls, leaving Kenjiro to his thoughts.

_Hyuuga Household-outside_

Neji contemplated his next move, watching the transaction between Kenjiro and Hiashi with his _Byakugan_. Years of field work had taught him to read lips rather well, and he knew every part of the conversation as if he were sitting in the room. Several questions bounced around his head, which was soaked with sweat from the late morning sun. Kenjiro had never needed backup of any sort, and the one time Neji saw his great-grandfather in action, Neji was convinced that Kenjiro would _never _need support. And yet, he admitted to Hiashi that he was calling in people to try and kill Judo.

_Why does Judo scare him so much? And what did Kenjiro do that makes Judo want him so bad?_ Neji tried to unravel the mysteries, but nothing was coming to light. He would have to find some way to garner information about the situation, and pick a side. He had always hated Hiashi, and no amount of Hyuuga secrets and training Hiashi heaped on him would make Neji like him any better. His main goal was to be rid of the blasted seal that had been etched into him when he was four, or at least get revenge for the person who started the ritual. Asking Kenjiro directly, despite being very favored by him, would probably lead to nowhere. He needed to start somewhere, and as Tsunade soared by with Sakura in her arms, Neji had an idea of where to start….

_Great Forest_

Sweat poured down Hinata's brow as the sun reached its apex high in the sky. Her stance became lower, her vision more focused. She took a deep breath, eyeing her opponent across the clearing.

"Ready?" Naruto asked, a smile creeping onto his face. He was similarly soaked from the training, although his stamina was nearly limitless. Hinata found it difficult to keep up with him, although she loved every minute of it. Not only did she become stronger through training, but she was able to train with Naruto. She glanced quickly at Judo, who was sitting in the shade of a nearby tree, watching them intently. He hadn't said a word since they started, but she knew that he was eyeing them critically. She switched her attention back to Naruto.

"Ready." She said. Naruto sprung into action, leaping forward with a flying kick. Hinata blocked the attack, shifting her weight and aiming to hit one of Naruto's _tenketsu_. Naruto dodged and backed off, forming a hand seal.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_ he called, replicating himself several times over. A large portion of them leapt into the air, flinging _kunai _and _shuriken_, while the rest moved to engage in close combat. Hinata shifted her feet, quickly forming _chakra_ to the palms of her hands.

"_Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyonshou!"_ she called, whipping her hands about at an inhuman speed. The incoming _kunai _and_ shuriken _were split into several pieces, falling away harmlessly while the entire first row of attackers vanished in a puff of smoke. As the second wave flooded in, Hinata found herself pressed from all sides. Her _chakra_ was running low, and she needed to separate herself from the threats. She fended off the first few attackers as she reached into her bag for an exploding tag. She activated it, dropping it on the ground where she was as she leapt away. Naruto saw this, however, and sent a mental command for two of his shadow clones to pick him up and wing him at Hinata. They complied, and as he soared through the air, his remaining shadow clones jumped on the exploding tag, attempting to muffle the blast. It didn't quite work as planned, and as Naruto collided with the surprised Hinata, the explosion sent both of them out of control. Naruto gripped Hinata tight to his body and turned, absorbing the brunt of the landing while cushioning the fall for Hinata. Naruto kept Hinata pressed to him, allowing the debris to fall around them before letting her look up.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked, brushing Hinata's sweat soaked hair away from her face. Hinata tried to answer, but being entwined with Naruto, along with him holding her the way he was, took all the air out of her lungs. All she could do was turn a bright shade of red and try not to faint as she stared deeply into Naruto's blue eyes.

"That was a pretty good move you did back there, Hinata. You're becoming more like a _jounin_ every day." Naruto commented, patting her back and smiling. Hinata barely registered the compliment. She wanted to kiss Naruto so badly, to just lie there in his arms and enjoy him. His smile, his scent, everything was pulling her towards him, and against her shyness, she gave in to her desire, leaning in every so slowly…

"Ahem." Judo's voice came loudly. Hinata snapped out of her trance, rolling off of Naruto and standing so quickly that she almost fell over again. Naruto stood as well, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Well, how was that? You've been quiet all morning. Give us some input." Naruto asked.

Judo scratched his head, looking at the smoldering crater, then back to the duo in front of him.

"You really need some work. Both of you." He said at last. Hinata felt dejected at the comment, but Naruto simply nodded.

"Like where? Be specific, sensei." Naruto asked. Judo shook his head at the 'sensei' remark, and decided that he might as well don the mantle.

"From what I've seen of you, Naruto, you've mastered the _kage bunshin_, and are extremely effective with it. However, you need more than just one technique to get by." Judo began.

"Oh, I've got more than that, Judo-sensei. Ero-sennin taught me the _rasengan_ as well." Naruto interrupted.

"_Rasengan?_" Judo asked, looking at Hinata seemingly for an answer. When none came, he focused back on Naruto.

"I must admit, this _rasengan_ eludes me. Would you be so kind as to show it to me?"

Naruto shrugged, conjuring another shadow clone. Together they worked the technique until it was ready to be utilized. Naruto choose a large boulder nearby as the target. He wound up and thrust the _rasengan_ into the rock, calling out the name of the technique as he did so. A half-second later, not much was left of the rock, and Naruto stood dusting his hands off. He turned to Judo and smiled.

"That's the _ransengan_, developed by the Fourth Hokage and Jiraya-sama." He said.

"Good job, Naruto-kun!" Hinata exclaimed.

Judo nodded his head, mildly impressed.

"Does that technique normally require the use of a shadow clone?" Judo asked.

Naruto thought about his answer. "Well, not normally. Jiraya and the Third Hokage could do it without a shadow clone. But I mastered it within a week, whereas they took a few years to do it." Naruto said, trying to defend himself.

"There was probably a reason they took a few years to do it." Judo said. Naruto shrugged and looked away, understanding what Judo meant.

"Anything else?" Judo asked. Naruto shook his head.

"Most my techniques revolve around the _rasengan._ Kakashi-sensei taught me how to meld my heritage element into it to make it more powerful, but I end up doing damage to myself as well." Naruto explained.

Judo appeared intrigued by what Naruto had said. "I imagine you used your shadow clones to help develop the technique." Judo said.

"Yeah…" Naruto answered, glancing at Hinata curiously.

"Using the _Kage Bunshin_ is fine for learning the basics of a technique, but to refine it, you must practice it without the help of your clones. That is your first lesson, Naruto." Judo said, holding up one finger for emphasis. Naruto wasn't thrilled at the prospect of not using his shadow clones, but was willing to give it a try.

"What about Hinata?" Naruto asked, motioning to her. Hinata suddenly wanted to be somewhere else, and her expression showed it. Judo loathed teaching a Hyuuga anything, but he swallowed his anger and forced himself to think.

"What was that technique you used earlier?" Judo asked. Hinata fidgeted nervously.

"I-It's something I developed, uh…_S-Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyonshou._" She said.

"All the Hyuuga I've encountered use _Hakkeshou Kaiten_ to defend themselves. Yet, you took an offensive maneuver and made it into a defensive one. Why?" Judo pressed, circling Hinata as he spoke.

"I, uh, I can't perform _K-Kaiten_." Hinata admitted, looking down.

"You can't? You have Hyuuga blood, don't you?" Judo countered.

"Y-Yes. But father tried to teach me that, and I…I can't do it. I'm not strong enough and my footwork is bad." Hinata explained.

"So you created a technique that could substitute for the _Kaiten_." Judo said.

"I wanted to be able to protect m-my teammates." Hinata said. Judo stood, leaning in close to Hinata.

"Excuse me; I think I heard you wrong. Why did you develop it?" Judo asked, a look of skepticism on his face.

"T-to protect my teammates. When we go on missions." Hinata said.

"And you're a Hyuuga?" Judo asked, looking her over.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked.

"I'll let the both of you in on a little secret. The Hyuuga clan wasn't always based in Konoha, and your 'great-grandfather' is much older then what he tells you. Each Hyuuga that I've come across have been power-hungry and only worried about themselves. However, they don't seem to have corrupted you, at least not yet." Judo said, pointing to Hinata. Hinata seemed like she was going to break down into tears.

"Hinata is one of the kindest and generous people I know!" Naruto exclaimed.

"And I'll wager that she's not accepted within her family for being so kind and generous." Judo retorted. An awkward silence hung in the air for a few minutes, until Judo let out a lengthy sigh.

"Nevermind. I have my reasons for why I think the way I do. We are here to train, are we not?" Judo said. Naruto nodded, looking at Hinata, who seemed crestfallen. Naruto walked besides, placing a comforting arm around her, but not quite knowing what to say.

"Naruto, we'll work on refining your heritage element for the moment. And Hinata…" Judo stopped for a moment. Hinata raised her head, realizing that Judo had called her by her first name rather than just referring to her as 'Hyuuga'.

"Hinata, we can work on your _Kaiten_, or if you wish, I can teach you some other things." Judo said. His expression remained neutral, but Hinata noticed that it didn't hold the scowl he usually had when she was around.

"Really?" she asked, her face brightening. Judo nodded.

"There's other _ninjutsu_ you can learn and utilize, if you're sincere about protecting your teammates. All it will take is patience and practice." Judo said. A smile crept across Hinata's face, and she nodded eagerly.

"Alright! Let's do it!" Naruto yelled, dragging Hinata back into the clearing.


	13. The Gentle Way Ch13

_Hyuuga Household-Konoha_

The small brazier in front of Kenjiro flickered to life suddenly, signaling that someone was trying to contact him. Kenjiro formed a few hand seals and activated the message with his chakra. The flame flickered for a few seconds, and then flared up, revealing a ghostly image of a masked _shinobi_. The _shinobi_ recognized Kenjiro immediately, bowing his head in reverence.

"It has been some time, Kenjiro-sama. To what do I owe the honor?" the whisper-like voice of the image asked.

"I have need for you again, Takumi." Kenjiro said flatly. The image shifted, and Kenjiro thought he could see Takumi smiling under his mask.

"Is it the one?" Takumi asked eagerly.

Kenjiro nodded. "I am sure of it. Though he calls himself 'Judo' now, there's no mistaking that he is the one."

"You have given me a great honor, Kenjiro-sama. Have the others…?"

"Yes, although you are the first to contact me. Whether you wish to wait for them, or pursue him yourself is the choice I leave to you. Should they contact me, I will tell them the same thing that I tell you now." Kenjiro explained.

"Again, I thank you, Kenjiro-sama. Are you still in Konoha?" Takumi asked.

"I am. And he is here as well. How long will it take you?"

Takumi breathed deeply. "Not more than a day's travel. I shall not wait for my vengeance."

Kenjiro nodded again. "Contact me as soon as you're ready to move in on him. I wish to have one of my children watching from a distance." Kenjiro said.

Takumi looked puzzled, even under his mask. "I do not wish to question your reason, but I am curious as to why?" Takumi asked.

"In case you fail to eliminate him. Any information that can be gathered will aid your brothers and sisters should they attempt to exact their vengeance." Kenjiro explained. Takumi nodded his understanding.

"I will do as you command, Kenjiro-sama. Vengeance will be mine." Takumi said before disappearing in a wisp of smoke. The brazier died down, placing the room back in darkness.

_Konoha Hospital_

Sakura slowly drifted back to reality, cognitively aware that the images of her dream-world were fading away. She felt the sensation of consciousness take her, and she opened her eyes, seeing the stark white of the hospital ceiling above her. Her nose picked up the sterility of the room, and she sat up, clutching the bed railing for support as a slight vertigo took her.

"Glad to see you're finally awake." Came a voice from across the room suddenly. Sakura turned to see Tsunade leaning against the far wall.

"Tsunade-sama." Sakura said, attempting to get out of bed. Tsunade rushed to her and stopped her.

"You need to rest a bit before you can do any physical activity." Tsunade explained, making Sakura lie back down. "That includes trying to beat up strangers."

A look of shame appeared on Sakura's face as she realized what her master was talking about.

"What was the first thing I taught you?" Tsunade asked her pupil.

"Don't get into a fight unless you know you can win." Sakura repeated the lesson that was practically beaten into her.

"Exactly. Your opponent was able to give Jiraya a run for his money. Do you think you can defeat Jiraya?" Tsuande asked, trying to reinforce her point.

Sakura shrugged. "Perhaps if I came to the battle wearing a bathing suit." She answered. Tsunade tried to hold back a smile, but failed.

"At least your sense of humor is still intact." Tsunade patted Sakura's head as she glanced out the window.

"How long have I been asleep?" Sakura asked, noticing the late afternoon sun on the horizon.

"Quite a while. I was going to wake you earlier, but you seemed so peaceful in your sleep that I didn't want to disturb you." Tsunade said. Sakura nodded her understanding.

"I still feel like I failed you, Tsunade-sama." Sakura said quietly. Tsuande adjusted Sakura's pillow, making sure she was comfortable.

"If I were your age, I would have probably done the same thing, with similar effect. Don't kill yourself over mistakes, just learn from them and get stronger." Tsunade said.

"What about Naruto?" Sakura asked, suddenly remembering their conversation earlier that day.

"What about him?" Tsunade asked.

"I was…mean to him for no real reason this morning. Is he alright?" Sakura asked, looking sheepish.

"He's alright as far as I know. Matter of fact, he was worried about you as well, and it was because of him that we were able to get you before you got seriously hurt. Although, you're probably going to have to help Judo repair the Floating Leaf hotel. You need to rest now, and I'll see how you're doing in the morning." Tsunade said, bringing the hospital covers up to Sakura's chin.

"Tsunade-sama…" Sakura said as Tsuande turned to leave, "I have a question."

"Yes?" Tsunade turned to face her protégé.

"There was something that Judo said, right before he used that _genjutsu_ on me, that's digging at my mind…" Sakura asked, her mind racing furiously.

"What did he say?" Tsuande asked, walking over to her student.

"Well, in m weakened state, I was worried that he was going to try and take advantage of my while I slept. When I voiced my concern, he said that he'd 'consider me once I got into my hundreds.'" Sakura explained.

"And?" Tsunade asked.

"And, I think there's something not right about him." Sakura said, looking her teacher in the eye.

"You're powers of deduction are as sharp as ever, Sakura." Tsunade said, pulling up a chair and reclining in it.

"Alright, let me tell you what I know…"

-----------------------------------------------------------

Neji watched as the Hokage began explaining everything to her student. He could hardly believe everything being said as he tried to wrap his mind around it.

_Servant of the Death God? Near immortality? The first vessel of the Kyuubi?_, Neji tried to prioritize and filter the information.

_This doesn't make any sense. Even if it were true, how is it tied in with our family?,_ Neji wondered again. He continued to monitor the conversation until Tsunade left the room, at which point Sakura fell asleep. Neji cancelled his _byakugan_ and rested against the tree he was using as a perch, and thought. There were too many blank spots and unanswered questions to form any solid conclusion, but he was slowly putting it together. His next course of action, he decided, would have to be a more direct approach…

_Great Forest_

"So you've already managed to imbue your heritage element with your _rasengan_?" Judo asked, stroking his chin in thought.

"Yeah, but the only problem is I still have to be close to my target in order to hit him. The last time I did that, I ended up getting caught in the technique's power and injuring myself." Naruto explained. Behind Judo, Naruto heard the exasperated breathing of Hinata, who was busy attempting to control a small body of water. Judo had determined that her heritage element was water simply by touching her forehead, and had instructed her on the simple task of trying to make a puddle of water form into an orb and to control it. She got close many times, but either lost her concentration or was simply unable to keep the water in its orb form for longer than a moment. Naruto silently urged her on, not wanting to disrupt her training.

"So even though you called it _Rasengan Shuriken_, you still have to hold on to it?" Judo asked.

"Well, it's not that I need to hold on to it, it's just that I don't know if I can let it go and maintain it." Naruto explained. Judo thought for another moment.

"I think I have an idea. Watch closely, Naruto." Judo said, facing a tree a few meters away. He formed a few hand seals at a moderate speed, so Naruto could see them, and activated his _jutsu_.

"_Fuuton: Fuudou no Jutsu!"_ Judo called, allowing a moment to pass. Naruto looked closely, but didn't see anything happen. Before he could say anything, however, Judo formed more hand seals, this time something that Naruto recognized as one of Sasuke's techniques.

"_Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!"_ Judo called again, spitting three small fireballs out of his mouth. They disappeared as soon as they left Judo, and then reappeared a few feet away, flying out of an invisible tunnel at an amazing speed. They crashed into the tree he was aiming at, uprooting it slightly and igniting it in a spectacular burst of flame.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto all but yelled. Judo formed a few more hand seals, calling a small stream of water from the nearby lake to extinguish the fire.

"That _jutsu_ was called the Wind Tunnel Technique. It focuses air-laced chakra into a tunnel, which increases the speed and power of whatever is sent through it. Anything can be sent through the tunnel, depending on how you build it. It does require a good amount of chakra control, however, similar to your _Rasengan_, although not nearly as difficult. Are you ready to learn it?" Judo asked.

"Yeah, but how is this going to help me throw my _Rasengan Shuriken?_" Naruto asked.

"The tunnel is maintained using the wielders specific chakra. Your _Rasengan_, I'd imagine, also uses your specific chakra. If you let it go down the tunnel, the tunnel will be able to maintain it as if you were still holding it. At least, that's the idea. I've never tried it with something as powerful as your technique." Judo admitted.

"Alright then, show me how it's done." Naruto said, lining up next to Judo.

"I'll teach it to you in stages. First step, focus your chakra into a tunnel about the size of your head. It helps to visualize the tunnel being formed as you mold your chakra into the air." Judo explained, giving Naruto some room. Naruto set his mind to the technique, forming the hand seals he had seen Judo do. Judo watched as Naruto molded his chakra into a tunnel, straining as he tried to keep the tunnel in check. After a few seconds, the tunnel dissipated, causing a gentle breeze to go in all directions.

"Don't try to force the technique. Think of it this way; you are offering your chakra to the wind, asking it to create a tunnel for you. If you try and _make_ it happen, then you will struggle with the technique for some time. Understand?" Judo explained.

Naruto nodded, rubbing his hands as he concentrated. While Naruto worked out the finer details of the technique, Judo looked over to Hinata, who seemed to be struggling just as much as Naruto with her task. Judo debated on letting her figure it out herself, but reminded himself that she was not tainted and power-hungry like other Hyuuga he had met. He took a deep breath to calm himself, and walked over to Hinata. She glanced at him as he advanced, then quickly averted her eyes.

"Have you progressed any?" Judo asked, perhaps a little gruffer than he wanted to.

"I…I believe so, sensei." Hinata said quietly.

"Well then, let's see." Judo said, taking a seat next to Hinata. Hinata felt her nervousness spike, and tried to calm herself before attempting the task. She molded her chakra, sending it into the puddle and tried to focus it into an orb. Judo watched as the Hyuuga child strained, but managed to alter the water's shape somewhat. It started to take on the shape of an orb, but plopped back down into the puddle after a few moments. Hinata let out the breath she had inadvertently been holding as she tried to manipulate the water.

"It's seems the Hyuuga ability to learn things quickly doesn't run as strongly as it used to." Judo said, immediately scolding himself for his harshness.

"I..I'm sorry, sensei, let me try…" Hinata started, but Judo help up his hand to stop her.

"Do you cook?" he asked.

"I…uh…what?" Hinata asked, confused at the question.

"Do you cook? For yourself or your family, or anyone?" Judo elaborated. Hinata eyed him curiously.

"Yes, my…it's my role in the family to prepare meals." She answered.

"Do you know how to make onigiri rolls?" Judo pressed.

"Yes, sensei." Hinata answered.

"Good. When you attempt to mold the water into an orb, imagine you are making an onigiri. Use your chakra as the outer layer, and the water as the filling. Perhaps it will be easier that way." Judo explained. Hinata nodded as the logic made sense to her.

"Also, although you're _suiton_ oriented, air is still an important part of your training, so remember to _breathe_ while you concentrate. Understand?" Judo said, forcing a slight smile. Hinata blushed, but smiled also.

"Yes, sensei." She said, with a little more confidence.

"Alright, try it one more time." Judo said, motioning to the puddle. Hinata closed her eyes, focusing her chakra into the water again. As she felt it take hold, she did as Judo instructed, imagining making an onigiri. She opened her eyes as she envisioned it, watching the water shift and move until it was a near perfect orb, floating above the ground at her eye level. She kept concentrating, slowly lowering the orb of water back to the dry ground and letting it spread itself gently over the dirt.

"Very well done, Hinata." Judo said, standing. Hinata stood as well, bowing to Judo as she did so.

"Thank you very much, Judo-sama." Hinata said.

"You…are welcome. But remember that this is only the beginning of your training. Practice this until you can control a body of water with little concentration, and do not get discouraged if it does not happen overnight. Water is a hard element to control, but one who manages to do so can become quite powerful. When you are ready, I will show you a few low level _suiton_ techniques that you can practice." Judo explained.

Hianta's face lit up as Judo finished speaking. "Yes, sensei. I will train hard." she said, uncharacteristically loud.

"I have no doubts." Judo said, turning and walking away from Hinata. Mixed feelings of contempt and compassion battled within him, but he suppressed them as he watched Naruto attempt to form the wind tunnel again. Naruto struggled to maintain the shape of the tunnel, but it spun out of control and dissipated, knocking Naruto flat on his back. Judo heard Hinata try to stifle a giggle, and Judo himself had to refrain from smiling as he helped the poor boy to his feet.

"Dammit! I almost had it that time!" Naruto said, dusting himself off.

"You are still trying to force the tunnel to be, Naruto." Judo explained. Naruto threw his hands up in frustration.

"I don't know any other way to do it! If I just let my chakra flow, no tunnel happens! If I 'force' it to make a tunnel, it explodes on me!" Naruto shouted. Judo sensed the Kyuubi's essence begin winding it's way through Naruto's being as his anger grew.

"Let me explain something to you." Judo said, attempting to calm Naruto before the Kyuubi could take over. "All elements are living essences, in their own right. As such, they have distinctive personalities, much like you and I."

Naruto cocked his head to one side, not quite understanding what Judo was talking about.

"Wind is a free essence, able to go where it pleases when it pleases. If it decides to cause a gentle breeze through trees or a tornado through plains, it does so simply because it can. If you try and _force_ the element of wind to do something, it will always resist you, and it will always win." Judo explained.

"Then what's the point of learning the technique? I thought I was _fuuton _based, so shouldn't it be easier for me?" Naruto asked.

"Not necessarily easier for you, but your _fuuton_ techniques will be more powerful because of your alignment. You still have to go through the arduous task of _learning_ the ways of the element, before you can hope to master it." Judo said, placing a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto struggled for something to say, but opted to be quiet and try to dissect the lesson being taught. Before he could ponder, however, Judo continued.

"Next time you try it, Naruto, _guide_ the winds. Allow your chakra to mingle with the element, then make small, gentle alterations until you have your tunnel. Then keep letting your chakra flow through the tunnel, so that it keeps its shape. If you can maintain it for thirty seconds, I'll teach you the second step of the technique." Judo said, letting his hand drop away. Naruto nodded his understanding, and turned to practice the technique again when his stomach grumbled loudly. Hunger pangs hit him hard, and he realized that he had been out in the forest since the morning without so much as a water break.

"It seems we will have to practice this more tomorrow." Judo said.

"We? As in, Hinata and I?" Naruto asked. Judo avoided letting out a lengthy sigh. His mixed feelings jumped up within him again, and he found himself strangely erring on the side of compassion rather than contempt, though he did not know why.

"If…you wish, then yes, she is more than welcome to train with us." Judo said. Hinata smiled broadly as she bowed and thanked Judo, who waved his hand in dismissal.

"C'mon, let's get back to Konoha and grab something to eat!" Naruto yelled, leaping up into a tree. Hinata followed behind quickly, leaving Judo alone in the grass clearing. Once he was sure they were out of earshot, he said, to no one in particular,

"Did you enjoy my lessons?"

A moment passed, then Jiraya suddenly appeared into existence next to Judo.

"Heh. I forgot, you can see through my chameleon technique." Jiraya chuckled, slightly embarrassed.

"And why would you need to use such a technique in my presence?" Judo asked, making his way to the road leading to Konoha.

"Because I didn't want to be seen. More specifically, I didn't want to be seen by Naruto." Jiraya explained, walking next to Judo and matching his pace.

"Aren't you his teacher?" Judo asked.

"I was, although you seem to have taken on that responsibility." Jiraya replied, smiling.

"True, although reluctantly. The boy has quite the spirit." Judo said.

"I'm surprised to see you training Hinata, as well. I thought you hated all Hyuuga." Jiraya asked.

"I do." Judo said flatly.

"Then why are you allowing Hinata to train under you?" Jiraya pressed.

Judo took a long breath. "Although she has the blood of the Hyuuga in her veins, she doesn't posses their attitude or personality. Also, I _tolerate_ her because Naruto has a sort of love interest in her, although he's blissfully unaware of it, I believe."

"Yes, Hinata's been after him for quite some time, although he's had his eye on Sakura, mostly. I'm not sure whether she'll be relieved or hurt when she finds out that Naruto has changed his mind." Jiraya said. They walked in silence for a moment, taking in the early evening sights of the Great Forest.

"I imagine you didn't decide to walk with me simply to discuss the romantic interests of the young men and women about town." Judo said, breaking the silence.

"You would be correct. I wished to talk to you about whatever is in your friend's house." Jiraya replied.

"I told you that I don't know." Judo said.

"You did. I've cased the entire place over and haven't found anything, and my curiosity is eating at me. I'm going to allow you to search the house, but under my supervision, understand?" Jiraya said.

"That's perfectly fine. Meet me at the house around midnight." Judo said.

"See you there." Jiraya replied, leaping up into the trees and disappearing. Judo walked for another few minutes before coming to the main gate of Konoha, where an impatient Naruto stood waiting for him.


	14. The Gentle Way Ch14

"Don't you know how to treewalk?" Naruto yelled as Judo got close.

"The village wasn't going anywhere." Judo replied, patting Naruto's head as he passed. Naruto shook his head at his sensei's logic.

"Well, do you want to get something to eat? It'll be my treat, for taking Hinata and I on as students." Naruto said, keeping pace with Judo.

"I thank you for the offer, but you can save your money and spend it on your sweetheart." Judo said, making his way to the Floating Leaf.

"What do you mean, my 'sweetheart'?" Naruto asked.

Judo stopped and gave Naruto an incredulous look. "Naruto, if you are trying to keep the interest that you and Hyuuga have with each other a secret, you aren't doing a very good job of it." He said, crossing his arms in front of him.

Naruto felt his face turn red, although it was barely noticeable in the fading light.

"No, that's…! You got it all…! We're just…!" Naruto stammered.

"Naruto, have you seen the way she looks at you? More importantly, have you seen the way you look at _her?_" Judo interrupted him. Naruto fell silent in the face of the questions.

"I thought as much. Enjoy your night, and I'll see you…and Hinata, tomorrow." Judo said, turning to enter the hotel.

"Oh and when you've had enough fun for the night, remember to practice your _jutsu_." Judo called behind him. Naruto ran his hand through his hair as he thought about Judo's words. Was his crush on Hinata so apparent that someone who had only seen them together for little more than a day could pick it up? Naruto felt uneasy inside, as his last 'crush' didn't take to well to him. Naruto was pretty sure that Sakura would have punched him out of the village if she knew the extent of his affection for her. But Hinata wasn't like Sakura, was she? Or was Ero-sennin right when he said all women were the same? Naruto shook his head in frustration. All these questions and more bounded through his head, and he decided there was only one person who could answer them. Naruto hurried towards the Floating Leaf.

_Hyuuga Household_

Hinata had drawn herself a bath as soon as she got home. Since she didn't have to meet Naruto until later that night, she was attempting to relax as much as get clean. The training she received today had really helped her, and she was glad for the opportunity to learn from someone as knowledgeable as Judo. She was even happier for the opportunity to spend as much time with Naruto as possible. While she bathed, instead of using a container to pour water over her, she practiced her elemental control by trying to create spheres of water and making them splash on her body. It was a slow process at first, but she soon was able to control a sphere with as much water as a bathing bucket in it, although she could only do so once or twice. She thought back to when she almost kissed Naruto earlier in the day, wondering if he would have let her or not. She decided that she wouldn't make the first move, but if Naruto wanted to kiss her tonight then she wouldn't stop him. A knock at the door pulled her from her daydream.

"Hinata, are you in there?" Neji's voice sounded from the other side.

"Y-yes, don't come in!" Hinata stammered, reaching quickly for a towel.

"I would like to speak with you when you have a moment." Neji asked.

"Uhm…okay, just give me a minute." Hinata said, reaching for her clothes. She had gotten into the habit of bringing her clothes into the bathing room with her, as her father often scolded her for 'walking around the house like a whore'. When she was dressed, she opened the door to find Neji waiting a few paces away.

"Wh-What is it?" Hianta asked, looking around nervously. She started to make her way to her room, and Neji followed.

"I'm gathering information on something, but I've seemed to come to quite a large wall. I was hoping you would help me out." Neji said. Hinata entered her room, leaving the door open so she and her 'cousin' could talk.

"What do you need me to do?" Hinata asked, feeling slightly excited that Neji needed her for something.

"Well, I need to speak with Judo." Neji said flatly, lowering his voice in case someone was hearing. He had scanned the house earlier, and found Kenjiro asleep and Hiashi elsewhere.

Hinata's heart leapt. She was silent for a minute, fidgeting with something on her desk.

"I know you went to train with him, Hinata." Neji said, noticing her hesitation. "You went to train with Naruto, who was seen leaving the village with Judo. I just simply put two and two together."

Hinata looked at Neji. "Please don't tell anyone…" she asked, fearing what might happen. Neji raised a hand to silence her.

"I don't intend to, but I still need to talk to Judo. Can you set that up for me?" Neji asked.

Hinata shook her head slightly. "He…He doesn't like Hyuuga. He really hates them, actually. I don't think he'll see you." She said.

Neji raised an eyebrow incredulously. "He tolerates you, doesn't he?"

"Y-yes." Hinata admitted.

"Then, he doesn't hate Hyuuga that much, does he?" Neji reasoned.

Hinata thought for a moment. "He says I'm not a Hyuuga." She said.

Neji scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, you're as much a Hyuuga as I am." Hinata wanted to argue the point, but decided to remain quiet instead.

"Fine then, I'll simply follow you when you next meet and find my own way in. And if you give me away, Hinata, I'll tell Hiashi and Kenjiro-sama that you've been training with Judo." Neji said, turning and leaving.

_The Floating Leaf_

"I'm not quite sure I follow you, Naruto." Judo said, sipping tea that was brought to him from the kitchen. He had offered to pay for the damages to his other room, but apparently the Hokage had sent a memo saying that she would cover the damages and to give Judo a new room and whatever else he needed. The room was nice, more spacious and with better furniture than the other room, yet Judo still sat in the middle of the floor.

"C'mon, you're my _sensei_, right? Then teach me!" Naruto pleaded.

"Naruto, I'm your _sensei _simply because you call me such. It's not a mantle that I've taken up on my own. Secondly, I've been around for quite some time, and even _I_ still don't understand women. How can I teach you about something that I don't understand myself?" Judo retorted. Naruto looked flustered.

"But you had a girlfriend or something right? You've been on dates and things, right? You must know _something_!" Naruto shouted.

"I think this conversation is something reserved for a father to tell his son, Naruto." Judo said.

"I don't have a father. I don't have any family whatsoever." Naruto admitted.

"Welcome to the club, Naruto." Judo said, taking another sip. Naruto looked like he was about to give up.

"Sit down, Naruto. Have some tea." Judo said. Naruto sat, pouring tea into a cup.

"I'm going to start this by saying that every person is different, and what works for one may not work for another, understand?" Judo said. Naruto nodded, taking a sip of tea.

"Remember what I told you about forcing a _jutsu_ to work?" Judo asked, to which Naruto nodded.

"Well, the same applies for more than just _jutsu_. Forcing something to work in life, like a relationship, will usually end up not going the way you want it to. On your date tonight, don't _force_ yourself to be anything other than whom and what you are. Keep conversation casual and compliment her, just don't overdo it. Other than that, you have to find your own way." Judo explained, pouring another cup of tea. Naruto finished his, mulling over his _sensei_'s words.

"All in all, have a good time. That's what dating is about." Judo finished. Naruto got up and bowed to Judo.

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow." Naruto said.

"I'm sure you will." Judo said, watching Naruto leave his room.

_Hokage's Office_

"You're sure about this?" Tsunade questioned, not looking up from her paperwork. Jiraya, posted at the window as he normally was, nodded his head.

"It couldn't hurt. And it may be beneficial to give him what he's looking for. I don't see a problem with it." He explained.

Tsunade filed her paperwork away, leaning back in her chair.

"What if that hidden knowledge is the only thing keeping him from turning on us?" Tsunade asked.

Jiraya shrugged. "It's possible, but unlikely. If he wanted it that badly, he would have made another attempt on it while he had the chance. Also, if he was going to turn on us, he wouldn't have taken on two students."

Tsuande looked at Jiraya curiously. "Who's his other student?"

"Hyuuga Hinata." Jiraya said, smirking slightly.

"That's surprising, considering what he told us about the Hyuuga family." Tsunade replied.

"I think Naruto has a lot to do with it. You know his habit of changing people." Jiraya said.

Tsuande laughed slightly. "Yes, you're right. That makes sense, although, I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I don't think the world's ready for another generation of Uzimakis running amok."

Jiraya chuckled at the joke. "Who knows, maybe he'll finally get a taste of his own medicine." He turned towards Tsuande, checking the time.

"Don't worry about Judo; I'll be with him in case anything goes sour." Jiraya said.

"You're bringing backup, Jiraya. He's too strong for you to fight alone, and I'm not hearing any arguments on it." Tsunade reached for her roster of available _shinobi_ in the village and looked it over.

"Since Sakura is still recovering, Ino will be your medical support. Even though Shikamaru has the night off, I'll send him as well. And to top it off, we'll throw in Naruto and Hinata also. At the very least, they'll have a general understanding of how he works." Tsunade explained, writing down some information on a piece of paper.

"I'll have them assemble near the house. They won't move in unless something goes wrong." Tsunade explained. She walked with Jiraya out into the lobby, where Shizune was waiting.

"Find these people and relay these directions to them." Tsunade ordered, handing Shizune the paper. Shizune scanned it, then quickly set about her task.

"I should go see if Judo is ready." Jiraya said, tuning to leave.

"Be careful." Tsunade cautioned.

"I'm always careful."

_Yamanaka Flower Shop_

"Thanks for doing this, Ino." Naruto said, glancing around at the flower arrangements.

"No problem. You're my last customer of the night, anyways. Looking for anything in particular?" Ino asked, folding her work apron and tucking it under her station. Her clothes were similar in fashion to Sakura's, although Sakura preferred red and pink to Ino's purple, and didn't expose her midriff as Ino did.

"I'm not really sure what I'm looking for, actually." Naruto admitted. He saw rows upon rows of various types and shades of flowers, but he couldn't determine one from the other.

"Well, who's it for?" Ino asked, coming up next to Naruto. Naruto started to turn a shade of red.

"It's…for a girl." Naruto mumbled. Ino tried to hold back a laugh.

"Aww, isn't that cute? Who is it, Sakura?" Ino prodded.

"It's not Sakura, but I'm not telling who." Naruto said, folding his arms in front of his chest.

"Oh, a new flame, huh? I'm sure Sakura will be crushed once she finds out that she's not the object of your attention." Ino joked. Naruto sighed, selecting a random flower and picking it up.

"I'll take this one." Naruto said.

"You don't want that one." Ino said, taking it away from Naruto.

"Why not? It's pretty, it'll work." Naruto argued.

"Naruto, there's more to flowers than just looks. This is a _sazanka_ flower, and it means 'reliance and modesty.' Not the impression you want to give a girl on the first date, trust me." Ino explained, putting the flower back.

"Alright, well, then what flower should I get?" Naruto asked.

Ino thought for a second, selecting two flowers from the back row. "This one is a _wasurenagusa_ flower, which stands for 'true love', and this one is _kikyo_ flower, which stands for 'respect'. These are your best bets." Ino said, holding up both of them for Naruto to inspect.

"Great, I'll take them both." Naruto said.

Ino sighed. "Your hopeless, Naruto. C'mon, I'll wrap them for you." Ino went behind the counter as Naruto fished in his frog-wallet for some money. Ino presented Naruto with the flowers, bundled nicely in a fancy wrap that accentuated the color of the flowers.

"How much?" Naruto asked.

"15 ryou. But if you tell me who they're for, I'll let you have 'em for free." Ino said, with a sly smile. Before Naruto could answer, frantic knocks came from the door to Ino's shop. They both looked to find Shizune causing the ruckus and looking like it was very important. Ino rushed to unlock the door for her and let her in.

"Ino, Naruto, the Hokage needs you for a mission." Shizune said, handing the paper to Ino. Naruto placed the money on the table and walked up next to Ino, reading the paper with her.

"Who's Judo?" Ino asked.

"A visitor to our village. He's training Naruto." Shizune explained.

Ino shrugged, checking the time. "We don't have much time. Did you get Shikamaru and Hinata?" Ino asked.

Shizune shook her head. "You two were the first I came across. Find the others and meet up at the location." She said.

Ino folded the paper and placed it in her _kunai_ pouch. "I'll get Hinata, you go get Shikamaru, alright?" Ino said, heading out the door. Naruto moved to follow her, but quickly turned around and grabbed the wrapped flowers, placing them inside his jacket for safekeeping.

A few minutes later, Naruto was banging on the door on Shikamaru's house.

"Shikamaru, it's important. Open up!" Naruto called. After a few minutes, the latches began unlocking and the door opened. Shikamaru stood in the doorway, naked tot eh waist and looking like he got dressed in a hurry.

"This had better be _very _important, Naruto." Shikamaru warned.

"The Hokage needs us for a mission. Ino is getting Hinata, and we're supposed to meet them on the other end of the village." Naruto explained.

"This is so troublesome. The Hokage said I had the night off." Shikamaru complained. Naruto shrugged. "You can take it up with her, but we need you now." He said.

"I don't know…" Shikamaru started, reacting to something next to him, but behind the door. Another hand grabbed the door and opened it slightly, revealing Temari wrapped in a short-skirted evening kimono. Her hair was loose and messy, not the normal four pigtails she usually keeps it in.

"Hey, Naruto, give us a few minutes and he'll be ready, alright?" Temari asked, resting her head on Shikamaru's shoulder and smiling.

Naruto, realizing what had been going on prior to his arrival, swallowed hard.

"I…uh, yeah, just…we need to get there before midnight." Naruto stammered.

"I'll be out in a minute." Shikamaru said, shutting the door on Naruto. Naruto felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him as he took a seat on a nearby bench and waited. Shikamaru emerged a few minutes later, fully clothed and ready.

"Hey, sorry about…" Naruto started.

"Don't worry about it. Where do we need to go?" Shikamaru interrupted.

"Follow me." Naruto said, leaping up onto a rooftop and heading towards his destination. They arrived to find Ino and Hinata already there, with Hinata on lookout.

"What took you so long?" Ino asked, in a quiet tone. Naruto felt himself turn red, and pointed to Shikamaru.

"I was dead asleep. It took me a while to wake up, that's all." Shikamaru said, flashing Naruto a look.

"Yeah, what he said." Naruto agreed, making his was to the edge of the roof. He recognized the place as where they first had encountered Judo.

"So what's the plan?" Shikamaru asked. Ino handed Shikamaru the folded piece of paper, which he read over.

"Alright, we already have Hinata on watch. Ino, you stay back as much as possible if things get out of hand. Naruto, you and I will have to buy Jiraya some time to get out if things go wrong, so just make sure you're ready, alright?" Shikamaru said. Naruto and Ino nodded their understanding, and they discussed possible attack plans until Hinata signaled for them to be quiet.

"They're heading our way." She warned. The group made themselves as flat as possible against the roof of the house, with Hinata's _byakugan_ looking through the concrete and watching their targets.

_Meanwhile_

"I'm not sure why you are so eager to do this." Judo said, noticing Jiraya's relative impatience.

"Just to get it out of the way. Also, I've been very curious as to what kind of 'knowledge' it is." Jiraya explained. They came to the door of Joriu's house, and Jiraya removed the seal that was keeping it locked.

"After you." Jiraya said, allowing Judo entry into the house. When Judo passed him, he glanced up to a nearby rooftop, barely catching Shikamaru's signal. He smiled and followed Judo into the house, flicking on the lights.

The house was sparsely furnished, with only a wooden chair near a table and a bedroll as any sort of luxury. Dust had begun to settle around the house, save the places that Jiraya had examined before. No food in or near the kitchen evidenced that Joriu had not lived here in quite some time.

"I've searched this place all over, and didn't find a thing." Jiraya admitted, watching Judo scan the room.

"In your defense, Jiraya-sama, you didn't know what you were looking for, nor _where_ to look for it." Judo said, feeling a nearby wall with the palm of his hand. He dragged his hand across the wall until he reached the end, then continued on to the next wall. Halfway through that wall, he stopped, and began making small circles on the spot where he stopped.

"It's here." Judo said, reaching into his _gi_ and removing a scroll.

"In the wall?" Jiraya asked.

"Not really. I need a lot of concentration for this, Jiraya-sama. I'm not sure how long this will take, but I need you to make sure that nothing happens to interrupt what I'm about to do." Judo explained, unrolling the scroll and placing it at the foot of the wall.

"No promises." Jiraya said, folding his arms and watching. Judo knelt by the wall, forming a few hand seals and murmuring in a language Jiraya didn't comprehend, but sounded malicious. After a few moments of the murmuring, Jiraya watched as the symbols on the scroll began removing themselves from the parchment and rearraging themselves in a linear pattern on the wall. Once the last symbol was in place, the symbols began turning colors, from black to blue and finally a fire red. Judo formed a few more hand seals, and the area where the symbols were began to split and open. Gradually, the opening became wider, until Jiraya could see swirling images and colors that he couldn't make sense of. A whisper began eminating from the opening, and Jiraya felt both sick and excited at the same time. Judo began his murmuring again, and the whisper seemed to turn it's attention to Judo, relieving Jiraya of his sudden sickness. The door grew wider, until a ghostly image of a man dressed in similar attire was visible in front of Judo. The figure moved slowly, reaching up to his _gi_ top and removing it. His chest suddenly burst open, but instead of innards, symbols similar to the ones Judo placed on the wall began spilling out and onto the parchment. Judo strained, attempting to slow the raging flow of symbols that were cascading into the world. Jiraya nervously looked in the direction of his backup team.

_Outside_

"What's going on in there?" Shikamaru asked, making his way next to Hinata.

"I…I'm not sure. Jiraya-sama and Judo-sama are in there, but there's…something…I can't figure out what it is…" Shikamaru watched Hinata strain her _byakugan_. She suddenly shifted her eyes slightly upwards.

"What is it?" Shikamaru asked, noticing the change. Naruto and Ino made their way next to Hinata as well.

"Someone's on the roof." Hinata said.

"Do you recognize him?" Naruto said. Hinata shook her head slightly.

"He's wearing a mask. It looks like he trying to draw something on the roof." Hinata reported.

"We have to warn Jiraya!" Naruto said.

"We're not to move until something happens. It could be a caretaker for all we know. Just watch him." Shikamaru ordered. Hinata watched as the masked man continued to draw large symbols on the ground for a few more minutes. When the man was done, he stood, and Hinata watched as the symbols started glowing. She suddenly recognized what they were.

"He's drawing explosive seals! He's going to blow the house up!"

_Inside_

The tide of symbols started waning, and as the last of the symbols made their way onto the parchment, Jiraya thought he heard scratching noises coming from the roof. The audible popping of the portal-door closing brought his attention back to Judo, who was trying to stand. Jiraya helped him up, then examined the scroll. He didn't recognize any of the symbols.

"Code?" he asked. Judo shook his head.

"It is the language of the dead. I'll have to translate it before…" Judo trailed off.

"Before what?" Jiraya asked

"Do…Do you feel that?" Judo asked. Before Jiraya could answer, Judo grabbed him in an ironclad grip, taking Jiraya by surprise.

_Outside_

The explosion was massive, leveling the house in a tremendous display of light and sound. Debris flew in all directions, and the four Chuunin pressed themselves as close to the roof as they could to avoid any shrapnel. When the dust settled, Naruto was the first up, taking in the several tons of rubble that was formerly a home. He leapt down from the roof and rushed to the rubble.

"Ero-sennin! Judo-sensei! Are you okay? Can you hear me?" he yelled, with only silence to answer him.

"Ero-sennin! Judo-Sensei! Answer me, please!"


	15. The Gentle Way Ch15

Naruto frantically threw pieces of concrete aside, trying to unearth his former masters.

"Ero-sennin! Judo-sensei!" he called, heaving aside a massive boulder. Ino leapt down next to him, ready to aid whoever Naruto came across. Hinata also leapt down beside him.

"I…I don't see them, Naruto-kun." Hinata said, surveying the wreckage. Naruto spun on her.

"Look harder! They have to be here!" he screamed, scaring Hinata slightly. She pushed her _byakugan _to the limit, but couldn't see any sign of the pair beneath the destroyed house.

"I…They aren't there…" Hinata said, not wanting to infuriate Naruto. Shikamaru called to them from the rooftop.

"Where's the attacker? Can you see him, Hinata?" he shouted. Hinata's lavender eyes flitted around her field of vision, looking for the masked shinobi that caused the explosion.

"No sign of him! He's not anywhere above us!" Hinata reported.

"Then check below!" Naruto shouted, giving up on the wrecked house. Hinata quickly turned her gaze to the ground, attempting to isolate the natural formations of rocks and dirt from anything that didn't belong there. After a moment, her eyes caught movement.

"I see something…" she warned, straining to identify the movement. Before she could, it burst from the ground several yards away from the destroyed house. The group adopted defensive stances as the dust settled, revealing two figures, one slumped over the other.

"Judo-sensei!" Naruto shouted, recognizing the figure. Judo's gi top was partially ripped away, and he was bleeding from several places on his ribs and arms. Draped across his shoulder was the limp form of Jiraya, bleeding heavily from the nose and ears. The group rushed the duo, with Ino taking Jiraya from Judo.

"He took a chunk of the building to the head before I could activate the _jutsu_." Judo informed her. She laid Jiraya flat, tending to his injuries.

"Are you okay, Judo-sensei?" Naruto asked, inspecting his injuries.

"I'll be fine, I'm just getting slow in my old age. I was barely able to detect the bomber's chakra before it went off." Judo admitted, taking a wounded arm out of his _gi _and inspecting it.

"You were lucky to get out when you did." Shikamaru said, landing next to the group.

"How unlucky for him, however, that he didn't die a quick death in the building." A voice came from behind them. Naruto, Hinata and Shikamaru turned, immediately forming a defensive line between the voice and the injured Judo. A shadowy figure stood several meters away, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto yelled, his anger welling up inside him.

"Anyone who defends someone such as this man deserves to die with him." The figure said. He immediately started making motions with his hands, as if he was drawing _kanji_ in the air in front of him. Suddenly, a large, dragon-shaped wave of fire erupted from nowhere and sped towards the group, moving so fast that their minds could barely register what was happening. Instinctively, they brought their hands up in a feeble attempt to block the _jutsu_.

"_Doroku Gaeshi!"_ they heard Judo shout. Suddenly, a thick earthen wall quickly rose up between the attacker and the group, effectively defending them from the fire dragon.

"Everyone, behind me! _Now!_" Judo yelled. They obeyed instantly, helping to heft Jiraya up and get him safely behind Judo. The wall broke soon after, though the attack had been successfully defended. The group watched as the figure, with hands clasped behind his back, strode casually towards them.

"My, my, Gekido, this is quite unbecoming of you. Your family was the only ones that you _ever_ tried to protect, yet I see no evidence of your bloodline here." The masked _shinobi_ taunted. Judo placed his hand on his sword.

"You are mistaken. I am not Gekido, nor do I know who you are" He said.

The masked figure laughed. "Forgive me; I can see how you would not recognize me. My name is Takumi, and you destroyed my village, my family, and everything I have loved and held dear long ago."

An awkward silence hung in the air, and even the hum of Ino's medical work on Jiraya seemed to stop.

"I have been told you no longer go by 'Gekido'. But no matter what you change your name to; I will always remember you for who you really are." Takumi continued

Judo suddenly flashed back to his recent encounter with the Kyuubi, and how its words were similar to his opponents.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto demanded, taking a stance next to his sensei.

"Get back, Naruto. Let me handle this." Judo snapped, placing an arm in front of Naruto.

The masked _shinobi_ laughed again. "Even to this day, you weave a web of lies that you find yourself caught in. Has he not told you, child?"

"Told me what?" Naruto asked.

"Has he not told you of his past? Has he not told you of what he did to countless lives all across this world? Or has he kept you in the dark, hiding behind a false name and false life, as he did with his wife and children?" Takumi prodded.

"Enough!" Judo shouted, shocking Naruto and Hinata with his sudden outburst of anger.

"Gekido died long ago, and I apologize for any hardships he may have caused you. But I am who I am now, regardless of what you remember." Judo continued. He could feel the suspicious stares of his newly-acquired students, and lamented that they found out this information the way they did. Takumi's malicious chuckle brought him back to the task at hand.

"Just the same, Judo, Gekido, whoever you are, I will have my revenge on you." Takumi said, again drawing in thin air. Judo quickly formed hand seals.

"_Jakuden!"_ Takumi yelled, flinging several _kunai_ at Judo. The _kunai_ sparked with electricity as they sped towards Judo, who completed his hand seals.

"_Karyuu Endan!"_ Judo called, breathing deep and exhaling a long, cone-shaped flame. The flame melted the _kunai_ mid-flight, and Naruto caught a glimpse of Takumi leaping away to dodge the attack. Judo cancelled his technique, searching for his opponent.

"Roof on your left!" Naruto called, giving Judo time to prepare. Three more _kunai _landed near his feet, all with explosive tags attached to them. Judo formed hand seals at superhuman speed, slamming the ground with his palm.

"_Chirou no Jutsu!"_ Judo called, creating a small dome of earth around the explosive _kunai_ as they exploded. The explosion caused the ground to tremble, and Naruto, Hinata and Shikamaru lost their balance. As Judo righted himself from his technique, Takumi leapt in, landing a solid kick to Judo's chest and sending him careening back. Takumi followed closely behind, drawing a hidden blade and attempting to slice his opponent. Judo recovered just in time, drawing his _katana_ and defending the blow. Takumi reversed his direction, feigning an attack and landing a deep cut on Judo's already wounded right side. Judo grimaced in pain, but used his free hand to grab Takumi's garb. He yanked down quickly, causing Takumi to pull back to correct his balance. When he did so, Judo sunk his hips in, gently guiding Takumi over his hips. He kicked his leg back, against Takumi's thigh, adding more power and leverage to the throw. Takumi flipped completely over, slamming hard on the ground. Judo brought his sword to bear, but hesitated slightly as intense pain shot through his wounded arm. The hesitation was all Takumi needed, however, and he slashed at Judo as he rolled away, creating space between him and his opponent. Takumi flung more _kunai _at Judo, who deflected them with his _katana_ again. However, as he deflected the last _kunai_, Takumi's voice alerted him to his mistake.

"_Ichijin no Jutsu!"_ Takumi shouted, completing his drawing in the air. A sudden and violent burst of wind hit Judo, who was unable to counter it. It knocked him up and back, and he collided hard with the concrete of the building behind him, nearly buckling the wall.

"We have to do something!" Naruto yelled, watching Judo get slammed into the wall.

"Judo's the only one who can compete with him! We need to buy him some time!" Shikamaru said, forming some hand seals.

"I'll try and hold him, you two keep him off balanced!" Shikamaru shouted, completing his seals. Naruto recognized the seal, and took off in a headlong attack, creating shadow clones as he went.

"_Kage Mane no Jutsu!"_ Shikamaru called, sending his shadow speeding past Naruto and towards Takumi. Takumi quickly drew several _kanji _in the air, creating bright spheres of light that dissipated Shikamaru's shadow.

"Shadows hold no weight with an artist such as I." Takumi boasted, drawing more _kanji _in the air. As he completed his drawings, Naruto and several of his clones fell upon him, attempting to set him up for _Naruto Rendan_.

"_Houden no Jutsu!"_ Takumi called, releasing chakra-laced static electricity in a dome shape around him. Naruto's shadow clones dissipated, and Naruto himself was thrown back several meters, crashing harshly on the ground.

"Quite the advanced technique, child, but you used it rather incorrectly." Takumi taunted, drawing another _kanji_ in the air.

"Now, if there are no further interruptions, I shall complete my task here." Takumi said, finishing his _kanji_. Pieces of rubble and stone from near and far became drawn to him, until there was a countless number floating around his presence. Another _kanji _drawn, and they began forming into _shuriken._

"He's attempting to use _Ishi Shuriken no Jutsu!_ Stop him!" Shikamaru yelled, trying to form a new strategy. Judo seemed to stir at Shikamaru's warning, opening his eyes and coming to just as Takumi made another movement with his hand.

"Goodbye, Gekido. Please give your apologies to the countless souls you've sent to the afterlife." Takumi taunted, sending the projectiles speeding towards Judo. Judo attempted to move, but his fatigued body was not reacting fast enough, and he desperately tried to form hand seals to escape as he watched the _shuriken_ advance.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of movement, and registered purplish hair stepping between him and impending doom.

"_Shugo Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou!" _ a voice he recognized as Hinata called. She began deflecting the _shuriken_ with blazing speed, straining to make sure the deadly projectiles didn't get past her guard. One by one, the deadly _shuriken _crumbled before her technique, until all that was left was Hinata, standing tall and regal in front of Judo. Judo used the temporary reprieve to finish forming his hand seals.

"You're…a Hyuuga?" Takumi exclaimed, gawking in disbelief. His answer was little more than Hinata altering her stance slightly, preparing to defend whatever her opponent could throw at her.

"This…this doesn't make sense! You of _all_ people shouldn't be allied with him! Kenjiro said…!" Takumi started.

"_Doton: Dai Tsuchiryuu no Jutsu!"_ Judo called, completing his hand seals. The earth next to Judo began shifting shape, forming into a large and vicious earthen dragon. It sped toward Takumi, who tried to draw more _kanji_ in defense. The attack hit with the force of a battering ram, sending Takumi flying down the street and landing harshly on the ground, wounded and stunned. Hinata stood defensively watching Takumi writhe on the ground in pain as Shikamaru and Naruto helped Judo from the place where he was stuck in the wall.

"Sensei!" Naruto said.

"Naruto, Hinata, listen. I used up most of my chakra in the building and trying to get Jiraya-sama to safety. I'm going to need your help, understand?" Judo explained. Every breath he took sounded like it was forced, and Judo doubled over in pain as he completed his sentence.

"You're severely wounded, Judo. Ino should look at you." Shikamaru said, noticing the bruising around Judo's ribs in the light of Takumi's still active _jutsu_.

"I will be fine. She needs to concentrate on Jiraya, and you all should get him to a hospital as soon as you get the chance." Judo said, attempting to control his breathing.

"He's getting back up!" Hinata warned, watching Takumi struggle to his feet.

"Naruto, you need to use the _jutsu_ I taught you." Judo said.

"But, I haven't had a chance to practice it yet! I can't even get the tunnel to stay formed, nevermind trying to send my technique through it!" Naruto complained.

"Naruto, we don't have much choice. I'm in no condition to keep up a prolonged _ninjutsu_ battle with him, and if he kills me, he'll definitely kill the rest of you. I'll keep him busy, but for how long, I can't say. It's up to you, Naruto, you're our trump card." Judo said, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"He's on his feet!" Hinata warned. Judo pulled himself away from Naruto and Shikamaru, stepping in front of Hinata. He formed some hand seals, although not as quickly as he normally would have.

"_Hakisuitgote no Jutsu!"_ Judo called, completing his seals. Several slivers of water began forming around him, and rushed off towards Takumi.

"Now! Go!" Judo yelled, rushing in after his technique. Hinata and Shikamaru followed in, leaving a severely pressured Naruto behind. Takumi was able to complete a _kanji_ in the air, bringing an earthen wall up between him and the water spikes, effectively blocking them.

_Alright, Naruto, remember the lesson_, Naruto told himself, creating a shadow clone. He took a deep breath as he watched Takumi draw another _kanji_, flinging the mud created from his defense of Judo _jutsu_ into Shikamaru's eyes, blinding him. Shikamaru pried at the mud, but it was securely fastened to his eyes with Takumi's chakra. Judo leapt over Takumi and the mud, drawing his sword in a quick slash at Takumi.

Naruto formed the hand seals, allowing his chakra to flow into the wind. The tunnel began to form, then dissipated quickly in a burst of air. Naruto grit his teeth, watching Takumi regain his momentum and fend off both Judo and Hinata. Naruto formed his hand seals again, trying to relax amidst the chaos of the battle and let his chakra flow into a tunnel. It began to form, and Naruto started to struggle with it, but remembered the lesson he was taught. He tried to calm, and allow the chakra-laced air to form a whirling tunnel, guiding it gently into its formation. Hinata's scream interrupted his concentration, making the tunnel dissipate in a gust of wind that nearly knocked Naruto over. Naruto focused on the fight for a moment, trying to figure out why Hinata's screamed.

Takumi had managed to create enough space to draw another _kanji_, except this time it was aimed at Hinata and not Judo. The mud on the ground formed into an earthen hand, and it snatched up Hinata in its grasp, squeezing the life out of her slowly but surely. Judo attempted to free Hinata, but Takumi intercepted, scoring another harsh cut on Judo.

"Naruto!" Ino yelled, witnessing the losing battle they were fighting, "Naruto! Do something! They'll be killed!"

Naruto glanced at Ino, who had managed to stabilize Jiraya, although not without some effort. He grit his teeth, feeling desperation overcome him. He felt the 'red' chakra of the Kyuubi fill his veins, tempting him to use it. He ignored it as best he could, seeing Hinata's gasping form as inspiration, and formed his hand seals again. He calmed, despite the Kyuubi's nagging, and let his chakra flow into the air. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, letting his chakra meld with his heritage element and guided it into a tunnel. He tuned out Ino's screaming, focusing simply on the tunnel. He envisioned it swirling like a tornado, its wild energy and destructive force being aimed at Takumi. He opened his eyes, slightly surprised to see that the tunnel was actually there before him, swirling and storming as something as forceful as the wind does. He admired his work for a moment, before Ino's shrill questions re-focused him on the task at hand.

_Now comes the difficult part,_ Naruto thought to himself, splitting his concentration between the tunnel and his shadow clone. As the shadow clone began going through the motions of his technique, he felt the tunnel buck and fight against his control, and he focused back on the tunnel.

_Almost there…,_ he thought to himself, trying to keep the tunnel together. He felt the energy of the _rasengan _forming in his hand.

_Almost there…,_ he thought again, catching a glimpse of Hinata's eyes locking with him. They pleaded with him as they faded, sending a wordless cry for help out to him. He felt the _rasengan_ complete, and began molding his element with the technique.

_Almost…there…,_ Naruto encouraged himself, feeling the awesome power of his technique near completion. The tunnel bucked again, attempting to free itself of its current wielder's control. Naruto held it in check, aiming the tunnel towards Takumi. He held on for one more second, feeling the technique near completion in his hand.

_Now!_, he shouted to himself mentally.

"_Fuuton: Rasengan Shuriken!"_


	16. The Gentle Way Ch 16

Out of the corner of his eye, Judo watched his pupil struggle with the technique and silently urged him on as he defended against Takumi's attacks. He heard Naruto call out his _jutsu_, and in a last ditch effort used his shoulder to plow Takumi more or less in the path of the tunnel, receiving a nasty slash across his back from Takumi for his efforts. Ignoring the pain, Judo formed hand seals, putting what chakra he had left into his _jutsu_.

"_Chirou no Jutsu!"_, he called, slamming his palm into the ground. As Takumi regained his footing, the earth under him wrapped itself around his feet and ankles, rooting him to the ground. Takumi fought against it, physically at first, and then began drawing _kanji_ in the air. Before he could complete it, however, Judo watched Naruto's _jutsu_ shoot out of the wind tunnel at blazing speed, colliding with Takumi's back. Takumi's eyes showed surprise as the _jutsu_ met with him, but only for a moment, as the _jutsu _took effect, instantly swirling the chakra-laced wind around Takumi like a contained hurricane. As the 'hurricane' raged, it tore Takumi apart viciously, disintegrating his very being. Takumi tried to scream, but it was cut short as his throat and face were eaten away. He tried to move his limbs, but they were useless stumps attached to his rapidly-erasing form. Soon, nothing more remained of their former opponent, not even a speck of blood. Judo watched as Naruto dropped to his hands and knees, more exhausted than anything. Pain shot through him, which reminded him of the predicament his other pupil was in. He got up and moved rapidly to where Hinata was still encased in the grip of the earthen hand. The technique had ceased functioning since Takumi's demise, though it still held its shape, and Judo was able to quickly dig Hinata out of the prison.

"Help Hinata." Naruto breathed to Ino, who had run over to Naruto to inspect him. Judo gently cradled Hinata to the ground, feeling for a pulse or breath sounds or anything. Ino was by his side in an instant, using her medical _jutsu_ to scan Hinata.

"This isn't good." Ino said, focusing near the chest of Hinata. "Her heart is slowing. She's got several broken bones, but nothing that should be causing her heart to stop." Ino said, racking her brain for an answer.

"It was the technique he used, a variation of _Douka Dorodomu no Jutsu._ It traps the victim in the earthen prison and slowly sucks the life force out of them." Judo said, standing.

"We need to get them to a hospital! I'll carry Hinata, you get Jiraya!" Ino shouted. Judo nodded, walking over to where Jiraya lay unconscious and hefting him up on his shoulders.

"Judo-sensei!" Naruto called, getting to his feet with the aid of Shikamaru. Judo said nothing, simply leaping onto a nearby roof and flying off into the night. Ino followed, carrying Hinata's limp form in her arms.

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled, dread filling his heart. He turned to Shikamaru.

"We need to get the Hokage to the hospital!" he said, pulling away from Shikamaru. He stumbled for a moment before catching himself.

"You're not really in any condition to find the Hokage. Make your way to the hospital, I'll get the Hokage and meet you there." Shikamaru said, making sure Naruto was in good enough condition to be left alone. Naruto waved him away and sprinted off towards the hospital as Shikamaru leapt back into the night, grumbling to himself.

_Meanwhile…_

Hiashi realized that he had been holding his breath, and let the breath out slowly, letting the sound of the escaping air match the night breeze that blew by his hiding place. He had witnessed the entire fight as if he were in the midst of it, and he garnered quite a lot of information in the process of his spying. He deactivated his _byakugan_, and came out of his hiding place, strolling nonchalantly down the street until he came to a small clearing of bushes just inside the great wall. He sat with his back facing the clearing, as if he were meditating. A slight rustle alerted him to the fact that he was not alone.

"_What have you for me?_" a voice as loud as a falling leaf whispered to him. The voice was Kenjiro's, although Kenjiro hadn't left the Hyuuga household all day. Instead, he set up a place where he could communicate to his kin, although how he did so remained a mystery to everyone but himself.

"The artist failed to complete a masterpiece." Hiashi said quietly.

"_As we expected. What of our targets' capabilities?"_ the voice whispered again.

"He of two names barely survived, with the help of the squad that was with him." Hiashi said. A silence hung in the air.

"_Someone knew of our plans?"_ the voice asked. Hiashi shook his head, although he knew that Kenjiro couldn't see him.

"I believe they were spying on him for different reasons, and jumped in when the artist began painting. The heir was among those that helped him." Hiashi said, the image of his daughter defending Judo burning into his mind.

"_The heir?"_ the voice whispered, surprise evident in its tone, "_Does she know?"_

"I don't know. But she interfered with our plans, despite us warning her to stay away from him." Hiashi said. Silence hung in the air again.

"What shall we do?" Hiashi asked.

"_Return to me. If the heir wishes to discard that which we gave her, then she shall no longer be welcomed in the family."_ The voice whispered. Hiashi felt the chakra taper out, and smiled as he rose and headed for the Hyuuga household.

_Konoha Hospital_

Naruto burst through the front door, seeing the hospital more active than usual. Nurses and medical _shinobi_ were running around, shouting orders and trading various medical gear back and forth. Naruto caught a glimpse of Shikamaru, and made his way through the crowd to him.

"Shika! What's going on?" he said, grabbing Shikamaru's arm.

"They're working on Jiraya-sama right now, and they think he'll be okay. His skull was fractured, but none of the brain tissue was heavily damaged." Shikamaru explained, gesturing to a room where several nurses were hovering over the supine form of Jiraya.

"What about Hinata?" Naruto asked, squeezing Shikamaru's arm tightly when he hesitated to respond.

"Ahh! Alright! She's in the ICU right now, with Hokage-sama, Sakura and Ino, among others. They don't know what's wrong—" Shikamaru started, but was interrupted as Naruto shoved him harshly out of the way and made his way to the ICU. As he rounded a corner, he saw Judo sitting on a gurney, his wounds still bleeding into his ruined _gi _top.

"Judo-sensei!" Naruto called, rushing over to him. Judo glanced at Naruto, smiling slightly.

"Naruto, good job tonight. You performed admirably—" he started, but was cut off.

"The hell with that! Where's Hinata?" Naruto demanded. Before Judo could answer, Sakura opened the door in front of him, motioning for Naruto to be quiet.

"Tsunade-sama is trying to work! Keep your voice down!" She hushed. Naruto pushed past Sakura, barely hearing her protests as his eyes fell on Hinata. Tsunade was working on her feverishly, with Ino providing help where she could.

Naruto couldn't believe what he was seeing. Hinata's full and lively face was now grayed slightly and sunken, and her eyes stared lazily off into space as if they didn't even have the effort to blink. Her hair, which was usually full-bodied and purple, now laid stringy and slightly gray around her. Hinata's expression was one of apathy, as if she didn't care whether she lived or died.

"Hinata…" Naruto whispered, feeling a lump gather in his throat. Tsunade noticed him at that point, and yelled something at him, but Naruto didn't register it. He placed his hand on Hinata's, feeling the empty cold of death on her skin. He felt a knot in his stomach, and couldn't stop the tears that were coming. They rolled down his cheeks freely as Naruto cursed himself.

"This is my fault." He said, receiving confused and agitated looks from the medical crew.

"What's your fault?" Tsuande asked, seeing the emotion on the boys face. The panicked voices of the medical staff and Ino's rushed movements brought her back to the task at hand.

"I wasn't good enough. I wasn't fast enough. I couldn't save her." Naruto continued, to no one in particular. He felt Sakura's hands on his shoulders, and she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I know you're upset, Naruto, but we're doing all we can. Tsunade needs to work now. Come and wait outside." Sakura said, guiding him to the door. He heard it close behind him, and wiped the tears from his face as he met eyes with Judo.

"You truly do care for her, don't you?" Judo asked, his blue eyes scanning Naruto.

"I do. I don't know why, but…I mean, she's a good friend and everything, but it seemed like…" Naruto stammered. Although Naruto thought he wasn't making any sense, Judo understood him perfectly. He watched his reactions while he was in the emergency room, and it brought back memories of when Judo was in a similar position. The only difference was that Judo flew into a rage, releasing the Kyuubi and starting a whole other series of events. But Naruto had managed to sublimate the Kyuubi, ignoring its calls for vengeance within him. Judo placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"It will be alright." Judo said, watching Naruto attempt to compose himself. He allowed Naruto to continue for a few minutes, until the door opened and Tsunade and Sakura walked out. Naruto spun, a glimmer of hope in his being.

"Is she…?" he asked, hoping for the best. The somber looks of the two medical _kuniochi_ did little to placate him, and he knew the news before they even said it.

"We tried, Naruto, but…she didn't have much hope to begin with. I'm sorry, but she's dead." Tsunade said. Naruto felt his heart skip, and he sunk to the floor on his knees, completely numb. The world spun around him, and he felt like crying, screaming in rage and throwing up all at once. Sakura knelt by him, embracing him and trying to console him. Tsunade looked fatigued, and her heart broke at Naruto's reaction. She fought back tears, focusing on Judo, who looked deep in thought.

"You've lost blood. I'll patch you up." Tsunade said, making her way around Naruto and Sakura. She placed her hands on Judo, scanning him for a moment until he stood up abruptly.

"Get everyone out of the room." He said, in a tone that demanded instant obedience. Tsunade stood in a shocked silence, trying to compute what Judo was asking. Before she could react, Judo pushed his way into the emergency room, causing the medical team to look up from their duties.

"Get out." Judo said. The medical staff glanced at each other in uncertainty.

"NOW!" Judo shouted, shaking the walls and sending the medical staff scrambling like rats out of the ER. As the last of the attendants left, Judo went to close the door, only to be interrupted by Tsunade.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tsunade asked.

"Whatever I can. Please close the door." Judo replied.

"What are you going to do, Judo-sensei?" Naruto asked, a small glimmer of hope shining in his eyes.

"You will all have to trust me. I shall be done shortly." Judo said, closing the door and locking it. He heard the muffled whispers of the group outside, more than likely debating if it was a wise move to let him be alone with someone of Hyuuga descent. He paid them no mind, turning to the table where the medical group was working on Hinata. He apparently arrived just in time, as the various medical tools strewn about indicated that they were about to perform an autopsy. Judo took a good look at the Hyuuga, burning her image into his mind. He would need it for what he was about to do.

Removing his tattered _gi _top, he began drawing a complicated series of _kanji_ in a circular pattern on the floor of the room, using his blood as ink. He continued to draw the _kanji_ from memory, stretching the circular pattern until it reached almost to the walls of the room. He double-checked the symbols, and when he was satisfied with his work, he gently picked up Hinata's cold, naked body from the table and placed it in the center of the circle. Out of modesty, he draped a sheet over her form, and knelt by her body. He concentrated hard, using what chakra he had left to form the necessary hand seals. He began chanting in the language of the dead, and slowly the _kanji_ around him began swirling. Judo shifted his chants, closing his eyes to aid his concentration. The _kanji _swirled around them in a whirlpool fashion, with the mouth of the whirlpool on Hinata's supine form. Judo kept chanting, and when the last of the symbols found its way to Hinata, a new _kanji_ appeared on Hinata's chest, glowing a brilliant blue. Judo formed a few more hand seals, and shifted his chanting once again, until he could feel a familiar pull, similar to the sensation of falling asleep…

_Judo opened his eyes, relieved and apprehensive as he realized his ritual succeeded. He felt the strange sensation of the material that comprised the World Beyond, as if he were treading water, but the water had no heft or substance. He could sense the fear and hostility of the environment, obviously aware of something that didn't belong there. It shifted physically around him, as if it were trying to swallow him. Various colors raged around him, mostly darker hues, and he knew they represented the denizens of this world, drawn to him in both defense and curiosity. He knew he was safe for the moment, however, as the beings would simply monitor him until he proved to be a threat._

"_I seek the Shimagome." Judo said, in the language of the dead. The darker hues reacted violently to Judo's request. They shifted feverishly in both color and being, showing their fear of the being that Judo was asking for. Judo knew they had good reason, as these beings were those who committed horrible crimes in their mortal lives, and as punishment are forced to serve the Shimagome as nameless, empty beings for the rest of eternity, haunted by the victims of their past deeds._

"_Bring me to the Shimagome." Judo demanded, ignoring their fearful expressions. The material around him shifted, as if a current were shifting directions, and Judo found himself staring into darkness. _

"_**It has been some time, my son."**__ Came a voice that was both familiar and strange to Judo. Judo turned, seeing the essence of the Shimagome floating above him. It's face, hair and robes were ghostly white, a stark contrast to the continual darkness of it's realm. It was large and muscular, and at the same time frail and gaunt. Its hair flowed around his being, stretching down to its waist and flowing gently, as if blown upon by some unforeseen wind. Its eyes were the only thing about it that matched the darkness around it, yet Judo knew it was staring at him. Judo bowed deeply, averting his gaze below the being in front of him._

"_Master," he began, "I come to you to seek a favor. One that only you can grant to me."_

_Judo felt the essence shift around the Shimagome, though Judo not dare raise his eyes._

"_And what favor might that be?" a voice came from the darkness. Judo, despite himself, looked up towards the Shimagome, and noticed several beings sitting in a semi-circle around Judo, with the Shimagome in the center. After a few moments, he recognized the beings as fellow members of his disbanded group, though most of their names escaped him at the moment. _

"_Speak, Judo, for you have not long in this world." One of the beings urged him. Judo felt his remaining chakra waning, and knew the beings word to be true. He met the eyes of the rest of the group, which stared at Judo as if he were a criminal put on trial, with the Shimagome as the judge. _

"_I wish to reclaim a soul. The soul of Hyuuga Hinata." Judo said flatly. _


	17. The Gentle Way Ch 17

_Judo was surprised to hear himself say those words, and even more surprised to feel the absence of his conscience tell him to leave the Hyuuga in the Land of the Dead. Judo felt his chakra fluctuate, and he knew he was running short of time._

"_I want the soul of Hyuuga Hinata." He said again. An awkward silence floated like the pale form of the Shimagome as the rest of the forms looked at each other skeptically._

"_This is…an interesting demand that you make, Gekido." A form said, one that Judo recognized as Yoshi. _

"_Have you forgotten what the Hyuuga did to us, did to our family?" Another asked, standing up._

"_And have you forgotten your own family, who were slaughtered?" yet another asked. Judo felt anger and frustration well up in him, but he fought it back for now._

"_The Hyuuga have been marked for death, regardless of generation. Her soul remains here." Yoshi said._

"_She is not Hyuuga." Judo argued. The group glanced at each other, confused by his words. _

"_Her blood runs as thick as the one who betrayed us." One argued back._

"_Blood rarely dictates disposition. When have any of you known a Hyuuga to give their life for any cause that does not serve their own?" Judo countered. The group glanced at each other again, waiting for an explanation._

"_I was locked in battle with a strong opponent, and my chakra had been mostly depleted from securing information from Joriu. I would be a permanent member of your council if it weren't for the actions of Hyuuga Hinata." Judo said._

"_Giving one's life for another is barely a justification for a memoriam, much less a resurrection." A voice argued._

"_What purpose would it serve you to have this one alive again?" A different voice asked._

"_It would serve my pupil best, that she were alive to continue her training, and perhaps future generations of Hyuuga may learn more humble ways." Judo said. A silence that could be described as 'deathly' hung over the group again._

"_She is…your pupil?" Yoshi asked, not entirely convinced. Judo nodded, his form fading slightly._

"_She has taken upon herself to be different than other Hyuuga we have encountered. Also, she shares a close kinship with a young boy who is carrying the Kyuubi." Judo said. _

_A gasp went up through the group, and even the Shimagome seemed to wear an expression of concern and anger. Judo smiled inwardly, knowing that his trump card had worked. Everyone despised the Kyuubi, partly for its insane destructive powers, but mostly because it was the reason they were betrayed in the first place. For someone to be able to contain it, and for it to be so close to one of their own, was too valuable to be overlooked. _

"_This…Hyuuga. What kinship do they share?" Yoshi asked. Judo realized that Yoshi was more adamant about the destruction of the Hyuuga than Judo was, and wanted any reason he could find to keep the Hyuuga child in their realm._

_Won't be the first time I've lied, Judo thought._

"_Their kinship is one of love. She seems to be the only one that can keep him calm and in good spirits, no matter how hard the Kyuubi rages for freedom. It is imperative that she be returned to her former self, as the young boy watched her fall in battle. He is placated at the moment, but should I fail in my endeavor, I fear that he will give himself fully to the Kyuubi, and in my condition I will not be able to stop him." Judo said, making it as convincing a case as possible. He hoped secretly that they had not seen through his white lies, and held his breath as they murmured about themselves._

"_You are resurrecting her for this boy?" A voice asked. Judo nodded._

"_This boy is barely able to contain the demon-fox. He is brash and emotional, much like I was when I took on the responsibility. To return the Hyuuga to life will give me extra time to teach the boy how to control the Kyuubi…" Judo started._

"_To control? There is no control of that beast. It took you centuries to gain a hold of that monster, and even you couldn't contain it when it mattered most." A voice interrupted._

_Judo took a deep breath. "If he cannot control it, he cannot eventually banish it. If he cannot banish it, then it will eventually overtake him and become chaos anew. And if that happens on their plane of existence, you will have a war that you are sorely unprepared for." He said._

"_**Enough."**__ The Shimagome said, in a voice that was both painful loudness and utter silence at the same time. The council members all stared in shock at the sudden outburst of their master._

"_**Gekido, you have served me loyally and effectively. As my gift to you, I will allow you to take the soul of the Hyuuga back to the realm of the living, but at a cost to your own life force. You will age tenfold for every year the Hyuuga has remained alive. Do you accept this offer?"**__ The Shimagome asked._

_Judo bowed his answer. It was a fair price to ask, considering the main source of power for death is life. The form of Hyuuga Hinata appeared in from of him, naked and disoriented. Fear showed in her expression, and the swirling forms reacted with violence and glee. She tried to cover bare form with her arms, whimpering in fear._

"_Hinata, lie down." Judo commanded. Hinata recognized her sensei, and she tried to cover herself even more._

"_J-Judo-sensei! What's going on? W-Where am I?" she stammered, glancing all around._

"_You are dead, Hinata. This is what death holds for some people. But it shall not be your fate for long. Lie down, Hinata, please." Judo said, placing a calming hand on Hinata's shoulder. Hinata obeyed reluctantly, squatting first then tensely lying on her back, still attempting to cover herself._

"_Let your arms rest by your side, Hinata. Otherwise you will lose the use of your arms in the realm of the living." Judo warned, and Hinata agreed, placing her hands by her side. The dark forms swirled around her again, attempting to feed off her soul, but Judo's presence made it hard for them. Judo knelt by her body, in the same position he was in when he first started the ritual._

"_Try to relax, this will be over soon." Judo assured her, and he began chanting in the language of the dead. He felt the very last of his chakra dissipate and mold as he tried to force both himself and Hinata back to life. A tingling sensation started forming behind his eyes, and he closed them, focusing on his chanting. Aches and pains started forming on various parts of his body, but he ignored it, knowing that this was the most crucial phase of the ritual. The pain became gradually more intense, until it reverberated throughout his entire being, but he held strong, focusing more and more until…_

…A wave of nausea washed over him, and Judo opened his eyes long enough to see the white walls of the hospital before becoming violently ill to one side. He heard Hinata also vomiting, and knew that his _jutsu_ had worked. Adrenalin coursing through him, he willed himself to the locked door and opened it, seeing the puzzled expression of the group he left out there earlier.

"Help her…" Judo muttered, his strength rapidly draining. Tsunade noticed Hinata's moving form, and made her was past Judo to give Hinata aid. Sakura and Ino also rushed in, leaving Naruto to stare disbelievingly at his sensei.

"What…What did you do?" Naruto asked, helping Judo support himself. Naruto could feel Judo's weakness as he hefted him, noting that his wounds had yet to be fully attended to.

"I need…rest." Judo whispered, trying not to fade out. He glanced back to see the three medical _kunoichi_ working on Hinata before trying to force himself to walk somewhere, anywhere where he could lie down and rest for a while. Naruto allowed his sensei to lean on him for support as he made his way down the hall. A nursing attendant finally took him and placed him on a bed in an empty room, rushing out to wave in several medical-nin. Naruto waited outside as they closed the door, shoving his hands in his pockets and wandering the hospital. He didn't see Shikamaru anywhere, and assumed he went back to Temari's waiting arms. He passed by the room Jiraya was in, seeing him awake but being tended to by several nurses, though some of the nurses didn't seem like they were doing anything medically important. He wandered further down the hall until he came to the exit, walking outside and taking in the cool night air. Exhaustion set after a while, and Naruto contemplated going home when Sakura walked out the door.

"Is she…?" he asked, half wanting to hear the answer.

"She'll be fine." Sakura said, stretching. "Whatever Judo did saved her life. Or brought her back to life." She continued. She noticed the obvious look of relief wash over Naruto's face, and felt a twinge of jealousy.

"Anyway, she's more-or-less awake, if you want to go see her." Sakura said, putting her gloves back on her hands. Naruto smiled and nodded, turning back into the hospital and leaving Sakura to her thoughts.

_Inside_

"She's out cold, Naruto. You can go in, but there isn't much you're going to be able to do." Tsunade said, rotating a kink out of her shoulder.

"But she's okay, right?" Naruto asked. Tsuande seemed to be staring off into space, so Naruto waved a hand past her face.

"Sorry, what?" She asked.

"She's okay, right?" Naruto asked again.

"Yes, she'll be fine. She just needs some rest, that's all." Tsuande said. She opened the door for Naruto.

"Go in and see her, if you want." She said. Naruto smiled nervously, shuffling into the room and next to Hinata's bed. The color had returned to her body, and she seemed at ease. Naruto wanted to say something, but he couldn't think of anything meaningful to say. His necklace poked him in the chest, and he suddenly remembered the flowers he had purchased earlier that night for her. He opened his jacket and removed the wrapped flowers, then sighed as he noticed they were flattened, although not completely destroyed. He silently cursed himself for not remembering that they were in his jacket before the fight.

"I…I wanted to give these to you…" He felt himself say. He turned the flowers over in his hands absent-mindedly.

"Maybe…maybe next time we have a date, it can be something…not so violent, right?" Naruto choked out. He placed the flowers in a nearby cup of water, turning them so their profile was more apparent. He looked back at Hinata, saying a silent prayer that she would get better, and that she would forgive him for not being fast enough or strong enough to help her when she needed it. He felt his hand caress the length of her exposed arm, feeling the taut muscle lying underneath the smooth skin. Finally, he turned away, walking out of the room and back into the hallway. As he closed the door quietly behind him, he noticed Tsunade down the hall, standing with her arms crossed in a doorway. As he approached, he recognized it as Judo's room, although it seemed significantly less crowded than last time.

"Tsuande-sama?" Naruto said as he neared. Tsuande jumped slightly as he spoke, apparently lost in her own thoughts.

"Yes, Naruto, what is it?" she asked with a hint of irritability.

"Just…is there anything I can do?" Naruto asked. He glanced in the room, almost not recognizing his sensei. Judo's features seemed mostly the same, but his hair and beard were showing signs of graying.

"He'll be fine as well. His chakra was almost completely depleted, and for some reason he started to age rapidly as soon as he fell asleep. His wounds are mostly superficial, but he did lose a lot of blood. I'll keep a special eye on him." Tsuande said, noticing Naruto's expression.

"And you should go home, as well. Tomorrow, he may be awake, and you can talk to him then. If you see Ino and Sakura, you can tell them they can go home, too." Tsunade said, running her fingers through Naruto's hair. Naruto nodded his acceptance, turning and jamming his hands into his pockets as he headed for the door.

_Haruno household_

Sakura unlocked the door to her apartment, eager just to take a bath and relax before getting a good nights rest. Even though she had been cleared for duty, she still felt more exhausted than normal after her work in the hospital, and this night punched her to her limits. She was sure she would collapse if Naruto hadn't caught up with her and relayed Tsuande's message. She switched on the light, stopping in the doorway to ensure that no one was waiting to surprise her. When she and Sai had their relationship, he would often be waiting for her in her room, and then later her apartment when she moved out of her house. She never knew how he got in, but she took it in stride until the end of their relationship. Removing her gloves and shoes, she made her way into the bathroom and started a hot bath, dropping in some scented oils to help calm her. As the water filled the tub, she mulled about the apartment, thinking over what had happened. Her thoughts surrounded Judo, and the experience with Hinata. She was there when Tsunade pronounced her dead; her life force had been drained, and there was nothing in their combined medical knowledge that would have helped her. Yet Judo had managed to not only bring her back to life, but heal some of her wounds in the process. Sakura thought about possible explanations for the phenomenon as she stripped naked and slowly submersed herself in the hot water. The relaxing effect was almost instantaneous, and she immediately felt her mind and body start to unwind. She got as comfortable as she could in the tub, and let the heat sink into her body, feeling her consciousness drift away…

"Sakura-chan." A voice spoke from the darkness, causing Sakura to jump nearly out of the tub. Her eyes focused on the profile an all-to-familiar _shinobi_ waiting patiently outside of the bathroom door.

"Sai, you scared me almost to death!" she yelled, instinctively covering herself as best she could. Sai moved so that she could see him better, and she noticed that he had his back turned to her.

"I…wished to see you, but didn't know you were bathing…" Sai said, his vice wavering between embarrassment and stoicism.

Sakura relaxed a little. "I see you still haven't mastered the social skill of knocking." She said, lying back against the tub.

Sai didn't move. "I will knock next time." He said.

"You can turn around and talk to me, Sai." Sakura said, becoming slightly irritated.

"But you are undressed." Sai argued.

"It's nothing you haven't seen before." Sakura countered.

"I was under the impression that what is acceptable in a relationship with someone is no longer acceptable once the relationship has come to an end." Sai said. His naïve logic struck Sakura as cute, if not infuriating at times.

"Fine, wait in the other room and let me get changed, then." Sakura said. Sai moved obediently to the next room, and Sakura waited a few moments before getting out of the tub and wrapping a bathrobe around herself. She made her way to the other room, where Sai was sitting next to the window, seemingly enjoying the night.

"What is it, Sai?" Sakura said, putting on some water to make tea.

"I wanted to give you this." Sai said, revealing a scroll. Sakura took it and opened it, looking at the unintelligible gibberish written on it.

"Is this some kind of joke?" she asked, closing the scroll.

"Are you aware of what happened tonight?" Sai asked, looking back out the window.

"No, please, enlighten me." Sakura said, sitting on a chair across from Sai.

"I was ordered watch an individual who has recently come into the village." Sai started.

"Judo." Sakura said, filling in the blanks that Sai omitted.

"You know him?" Sai asked, looking at Sakura. While his voice betrayed surprise, his expression remained neutral.

"It's a long story. You were saying?" Sakura said, waving off an explanation with her hand.

"The altercation that occurred tonight, I believe this…Judo, dropped this during the fight." Sai explained.

"What makes you say that?" Sakura asked, getting up to attend the steaming tea pot.

"It was left over in the rubble after the fight." Sai said.

"It could be anyone's. Why didn't you bring it to the Hokage?" Sakura asked, returning to her seat with a cup of tea. She didn't bother asking Sai if he wanted any; all he drank was water, and never anything else.

"Danzou would know if I turned this in to the Hokage." Said explained, looking back out the window.

"Then why bring it to me?" Sakura asked.

"So that you can bring it to the Hokage." Sai said.

Sakura rubbed her head in a mixture of confusion and frustration. "You aren't making any sense…" she started.

"Danzou knows that I witnessed the fight, and that I would search the area. He would know immediately if I were to return to him with this scroll. But if I give this to you, and report that I found nothing of value, you can give it to the Hokage." Sai explained once again.

Sakura shook her head slightly, understanding where Sai was coming from, but still hating the cloak-and-dagger of it all. She got up and placed the scroll with her work clothes, tucking it into her _kunai_ pouch.

"Are you staying for a while?" she asked, turning back around. It took her a second to realize that Sai was nowhere in the room anymore and probably made his exit through the window he was looking out of. Sakura was both relieved and hurt that he had left so suddenly, and decided to skip the bath and head to bed before any other surprises popped up.


	18. The Gentle Way Ch 18

_Hyuuga Household_

Hiashi knocked softly on Kenjiro's door. Using his _byakugan_, he noticed another figure in the room with Kenjiro, and opted for a safe entry.

"Come in, Hiashi." Kenjiro's voice beckoned. Hiashi slid open the door, getting a good look at the figure in the shadows of Kenjiro's room. The woman seemed unassuming, like a relative who had stopped by for a visit, but Hiashi knew better.

"Itsuki, I would like you to meet my descendant, Hiashi." Kenjiro said, motioning to Hiashi. Itsuki bowed, her fine brown hair gently cascading to the floor. Hiashi politely returned the bow.

"I hear you witnessed Gekido in battle, not using his Kyuubi?" Itsuki asked, her voice sweet, but not without a hint of venom.

"Gekido, now Judo, no longer posses the Kyuubi." Kenjiro said. Itsuki looked confused for a moment.

"Then, he has died?" she asked, edging closer to the flaming brazier in the center of the room.

"No. There has been quite an interesting turn of events in recent history." Kenjiro said.

"I am listening." Itsuki said. She shifted her head slightly, and Hiashi noticed a series of large, ugly scars marring her otherwise beautiful face.

"Judo has not been in control of the Kyuubi for nearly two centuries. However, the Kyuubi still exists, residing in that intolerable whelp Naruto, who's also his pupil." Kenjiro explained.

"Is he trying to reunite himself with it?" Itsuki asked, a hint of fear coursing through her. Kenjiro shook his head slightly.

"He could have reunited himself with the Kyuubi a long time ago, but instead he chose to banish it, presumably because he didn't want anyone else to wield such awesome power."

Itsuki scowled. "I would hesitate to call power such as that beasts' 'awesome'."

Kenjiro shrugged. "In any case, we managed to break the bonds holding the Kyuubi in it's purgatory, but it proved more cunning than we anticipated. It roamed free for a while, until one of this village's Hokages managed to seal it away inside his own son."

"Some father." Itsuki spat. "How did the beast manage to break free from someone as powerful as you, Kenjiro?"

Kenjiro closed his eyes for a moment, thinking back to the moment where he had almost achieved total dominance of this world.

"Let's just say," Kejiro said, opening his eyes slowly, "that my partner…lost sight of his goals."

_Konoha Hospital_

Judo shot up in bed, his hands instinctively forming a series of hand seals to repel the last image he saw in his sleep, one of the Kyuubi bearing down on him. He got halfway through the formations before he came to his senses and realized that it was nothing more than a dream. More a mockery, as the Kyuubi could sense that Judo's chakra was nearly depleted. Judo looked around the sterile hospital room, watching the first light of the morning peek over the horizon. He fell back into a memory of he and his wife, pregnant with their first child, staying up to watch the sunrise on several occasions. Each time, he would compare the beauty of the sunrise to that of his wife, who would giggle appreciatively.

"Mayu…" he whispered, becoming lost in his thoughts.

"Well, I see you're awake." Tsunade's voice pulled him from his stupor. She stood in the doorway, her arms crossed and a half-smile on her face. Judo instinctively reached for his katana, only to find that it, and his clothes, were no longer a part of his being.

"Was it necessary to derive me of my clothing?" Judo asked, lying back down on the bed. Tsuande maneuvered her way into the room, standing over Judo's supine form.

"They were filthy, and posed a risk of infection. It's standard protocol." Tsunade explained.

"And my weapon?" Judo asked. Tsunade waved to a corner of the room, where the ornate katana rested in its scabbard.

"Thank you for your care. I shall be rested enough soon to be out of your way." Judo said, taking a deep breath. The masked artist ran through his mind, and he tried to piece the puzzle together as he rested.

"It's not a problem, really. I'm actually very surprised at you." Tsunade said, shifting her weight.

"And why is that?" Judo asked, realizing that avoiding a conversation with this woman right now would be next to impossible.

"The whole ordeal with Hinata." Tsunade said. Judo grunted his understanding.

"What did you do, exactly? Was it some sort of medical _ninjutsu?_" Tsunade pressed.

"It can be considered that." Judo said, closing his eyes.

"She was dead for 10 minutes before we even came out of the room." Tsunade said.

"She was." Judo agreed, which threw Tsunade off slightly. Judo sat back up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, but keeping himself covered as best he could.

"My clothes, please." Judo said. Tsunade almost didn't hear him; she was too caught up in inspecting Judo's frame. While well-muscled, it was covered in battle scars, some small, others near-mortal. As Tsunade looked closer, some scars looked like brand marks, although she could not make out their meaning right away.

"Tsunade-sama." Judo said, bringing Tsuande out of her investigative mode, "Please, my clothes. I have a lot of work to do."

"Right. I'll have a nurse bring you some clothes right away. What do you plan on doing?" Tsunade asked.

"The individual who attacked me last night was sent by Hyuuga Kenjiro, and I'm certain that he will not be the last that the coward Hyuuga sends after me." Judo said, flexing his hands. They felt slightly less responsive than he remembered them being.

"You aren't planning on…" Tsuande said, after she instructed a nurse to bring clothes.

"It has always been my plan, Tsunade-sama. Whether it happens in your lifetime or not, I cannot say." Judo interrupted. "Until then, I agreed to train Naruto and his…friend, Hinata."

Tsunade nodded. "How's that coming along?" Tsunade asked.

"Naruto is an apt pupil. Some more training, and he should be set." Judo said.

"And Hinata?" Tsunade asked.

Judo hesitated before giving his answer. "She…is doing well. She has unbound potential, and is also very quick to learn new things. She will make a great addition to your ranks, if she remains unspoiled by the rest of the Hyuuga."

Tsunade looked at Judo, puzzled. She was about to continue her line of questioning when a nurse came into the room, bearing simple clothes similar to the ones Judo had worn. Judo dressed himself in silence, fitting his sword into his _obi _as he exited the room. He turned and headed for the room he last remembered Hinata in.

"What are you doing?" Tsunade asked as Judo neared the door.

"Collecting my pupils." Judo answered, entering the room. Hinata remained in the bed, motionless despite the commotion.

"You can't! She needs to rest, and we need to run some tests before she can be cleared for duty." Tsunade complained, trying to intercept Judo.

"Duty and training are not the same thing. She can recover while she perfects her skills." Judo said, going to maneuver around Tsunade.

"I said, no!" Tsunade said, once again intercepting Judo. They were near the hospital bed that Hinata was occupying, and she felt herself become a little off balanced. Nevertheless, she focused her chakra into her limbs, prepared to send Judo flying if he persisted.

Fortunately, Judo stopped, aware of the pooling of chakra in Tsunade's limbs.

"I do not see why you are adamant about letting her rest. She will be fine." Judo said, shifting his stance ever so slightly in preparation of her attack.

"Aside from being the Hokage of this village, I am also the head medical-_nin_ of this hospital. I do not feel safe letting her go train until she at the _very_ least wakes up of her own accord. After that, once _I_ am satisfied that she is in good condition, she can be cleared to train and discharged from this hospital. Until then, it is _my _responsibility to see that she receives proper medical attention. Furthermore…" Tsunade declared.

"H…Hokage-sama…." Hinata said, slowly coming to. Although her voice was weak, it still drew the attention of both Tsunade and Judo.

"Hinata…" Tsunade said, quickly scanning her body. Hinata's eyes opened, focusing first on Tsunade and then falling on Judo.

"Judo-sensei…" She said, a little more power in her voice. She tried to force herself up, at least to a sitting position, but Tsunade stopped her.

"Don't exert yourself to much, Hinata. We aren't sure about your condition, and we don't want you to complicate matters." Tsuande explained.

"I…I heard you and Judo-sensei talking. I want to train…" Hinata said, struggling slightly against Tsuande's restraint.

"Hinata, you're too weak right now. You'll be back in the hospital before midday if you leave now." Tsuande argued, forcing Hinata back down into a resting position. Tsuande saw tears start to form in Hinata's eyes, and thought for a moment that she was hurting her.

"I...I was starting to get good, I wanted to show you, Judo-sensei…" she sobbed, and Tsunade threw a glance in Judo's direction. "I want to show you that…that I'm not a failure, that I can do it…"

"Hinata," Judo said, in a voice that a father would use to get his children's attention, "lie down and rest, as Tsuande-sama has instructed. It will do your training no good if you are not at full strength."

"Judo-sensei…" Hinata muttered, fading in and out of consciousness.

"When Tsunade-sama tells me that you are well enough to train, then we will continue. Until then, do as she says." Judo said, the sternness still in his voice. Tsunade watched Hinata's form relax, and eventually she fell back into sleep. Tsunade scanned her one more time, making sure there were no unseen injuries.

"Thank you, Judo…" Tsunade said when she finished, turning around. Judo, however was nowhere in the room, leaving behind a perplexed Tsunade.

_Naruto's Apartment_

At first, Naruto thought he was dreaming of a crazed person banging on his door and calling his name. As he swam towards consciousness, his imagination wandered from scenario to scenario, reason to reason as to why someone would be banging on his door at this hour, finally stopping at either Hinata or Sakura (or both) yearning for entry into his home. His mind snapped him awake, telling him to answer the door before they change their minds, and he obeyed, leaping out of bed and nearly killing himself to get to the door. Reality hit him like a ton of bricks, however, when he opened the door to find not the women of his dreams, but rather his sensei, Judo, standing there.

"Are you planning on training at some point today, or are you content to remain at your current skill level?" Judo asked, somewhat rhetorically. Naruto simply stood there, his mind attempting to shift gears. After a few seconds of awkward silence, Judo spoke again.

"Am I allowed entry into your home?" he asked. Naruto shook his head vigorously, clearing the cobwebs inhibiting clear thought at the moment.

"Yeah…,yeah come in." Naruto said, turning and walking back into his apartment. Judo followed, closing the door behind him and scanning the living space. It was sparse, with little in the way of luxury or comfort. A couch and a chair inhabited the living room, along with a small table. The kitchen and dining room were the same, with nothing more than a flimsy dinner table set near the stove, with empty ramen containers littering the area. Scrolls of all shapes, sizes and colors were strewn everywhere, and as Naruto made his way into the bathroom to prepare for the day, Judo picked one up and inspected it. It suddenly hit him that he was not in possession of Joriu's information. He cursed himself under his breath, and considered going back to the scene of the fight to look for it, until Naruto called to him from the bathroom.

"What are you going to teach me today, sensei? More _fuuton jutsu_?" he called over the running of water.

Judo thought for a moment. The scroll was coded, for the most part, and he was sure that Kenjiro would be unable to decipher it, as the knowledge to translate the language of the underworld fades if not used constantly. It would be safe for the moment, and since Hinata would not be joining them, he could focus on Naruto's _real_ training.

"Today is a special training day for you, Naruto." Judo said, resuming his scan around the room.

Naruto came bounding out of the bathroom a few seconds later. "Oh, a different type of elemental _jutsu_, maybe?" he asked. Judo shook his head.

"Since your…friend, Hinata, will not be joining us today, we are going to focus on that demon inside of you." Judo explained, poking Naruto in the chest for emphasis. Naruto looked confused and crestfallen. He had hoped that Judo had forgotten about the Kyuubi, but it seemed not so. Judo noticed the look as Naruto turned to finish getting dressed.

"Is there something wrong?" Judo asked, watching Naruto disappear into his room.

"I just….don't see what the obsession is with this demon fox." Naruto called back. Judo let the words mull over in his head, waiting to respond until Naruto was back in front of him.

"It's not an obsession, Naruto; in fact, quite the opposite. It is more a fear that drives those to react to you the way they do." Judo said, moving to open the door.

"Is that why you're trying to help me, Judo-sensei? Because you're afraid?" Naruto blurted, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Judo turned back around to regard Naruto, and Naruto thought for a moment that Judo was going to really give it to him.

"There is a fear, as I have stated before, when you came to Jiraya-sama's defense. However, in my case, the fear is not for the beast-rather, it is for you and your kind, Naruto." Judo explained calmly. Naruto was slightly surprised that Judo hadn't become enraged or defensive over his comment.

"It is a curse you carry, Naruto, and what's worse is that it was thrust upon you without any knowledge of how to deal with it. The people of this age feel that if they shun that which they do not understand, it will simply go away. This village, and in fact the whole _world_'s saving grace, is your stubbornness. You refuse to allow the Kyuubi to take over you wholly and completely. It is because of that, Naruto, that I feel you are capable to not only live with this curse, but to control it and, ultimately, master it."

Naruto wasn't sure what to say. He felt invigorated at Judo's speech, but at the same time, there were far too many questions in his head to simply allow him to follow Judo blindly into whatever he had planned. Before he could say anything, however, Judo spoke again,

"Do you love your friends?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Naruto said, unsure how to answer Judo.

"Your friends. Those that you fight for and fight with. Tsunade-sama, Sakura, Jiraya-sama, even….Hinata, do you care about them?" Judo asked, becoming slightly more animated in his speech.

"Well, yes…" Naruto said.

"Do you wish them to be harmed? To suffer physically and emotionally?" Judo pressed.

"No, never!" Naruto said, conviction in his voice.

"Even if it were _you_ that hurt them in those ways? Because you're too weak to _truly _restrain that monster inside you?" Judo kept pressing. He watched as Naruto's expression changed, falling into the reaction that he was going for. He knew that Naruto's anger would push him to succumb to the Kyuubi's whispers, and he prayed that the beast was goading him right now. He let Naruto stew for a moment, and then formed a series of lightning-quick hand seals.

"_Kankiwamaru no Jutsu: Heiwa!"_ Judo said, pressing the palm of his hand against Naruto's head. Naruto's expression immediately changed from agitated to calm, and then confused.

"What was the Kyuubi telling you?" Judo asked, retracting his hand. Naruto stood silent for a moment.

"He…It was telling me that…anything can be accomplished if we joined, and…to kill you." Naruto said. Judo nodded his understanding.

"Whenever you become angry, the Kyuubi's whispers become louder and more tempting. Eventually, you reach a point where you agree to release yourself to its being, and then it takes you over completely. You are a walking yin-yang, Naruto. Your stubbornness and will to overcome obstacles on your own keeps the Kyuubi in check, but your passion and frequent irrational emotional behavior gives the Kyuubi an edge in taking over. And while the only recourse is simply to get angry, you must always remember that so long as you do not control the demon fox, it will _always _control you. There is no compromise with that beast." Judo said. Naruto nodded his understanding of Judo's explaination.

"Now, are you ready to train?" Judo said, raising an eyebrow. Naruto nodded eagerly, but as Judo turned to open the door, an urgent question popped into his head.

"Judo-sensei, how do you know so much about the Kyuubi?" Naruto asked, exiting his apartment and waiting for Judo to exit as well. A moment passed, and as Judo emerged from the dark apartment and into the light of the day, Naruto swore that his sensei was smiling. It quickly disappeared as he turned to close the door behind him, and only a slight semblance of it remained when Judo turned to face his pupil.

"Come, Naruto, let us walk to our training spot in the Great Forest, and on the way, I'll tell you a story of before your time…"


	19. The Gentle Way Ch 19

_Hokage's Office_

Tsunade examined the scroll closely, reading it but not truly understanding it. She had sent Shizune out to gather her best code-breakers, and they would be there shortly, but Tsunade wanted to examine the scroll for herself. She knew it would be a challenge for her decipherers, if not completely impossible for them. She rolled the scroll back up and placed it on her desk, looking up at her pupil in front of her.

"Did Sai say anything else?" Tsuande asked.

Sakura shrugged. "Only that Danzou would know if he gave it to you directly, and he wanted you to see it." She said, shifting her weight. She hadn't slept all to well last night, and her body ached dully.

"I doubt the code-breakers would be able to get anywhere with this." Tsuande said, tapping the scroll. Her mind raced with options, all of which eventually turned to asking Judo directly to translate it, which she was trying to avoid for as long as possible.

"Shikamaru might be able to help." Sakura suggested. She secretly wanted to be out of the office, as it was her day off today, and she knew the longer she stuck around, the higher the chance that she would be tasked with something. At least if she could track down Shikamaru, she would be able to disappear in the village for a while.

"Good idea. He should be at the academy. Let him know that when he's done with his lessons he's got a code-job for the rest of the day." Tsunade said, dismissing Sakura. Sakura bowed and made her way to the door.

"Also, Sakura…" Tsuande said, and Sakura quietly cursed. She turned to address Tsuande again.

"Check with the hospital. Specifically, with Hinata. Let me know how she's doing, and if any of the test results came in. Then you can have the day off." Tsunade said. Sakura bowed again, and left the room before Tsunade thought of anything else for her to do.

_Konoha Hospital_

Sakura read over the clipboard of test results, understanding some of the medical jargon on it. In front of her, Hinata had managed to gather enough strength to be able to sit up in her hospital bed. Sakura assessed that she would be able to go home sometime later that night.

"Sakura-chan," Hinata said quietly, "may I ask you a question?"

"Sure. What's on your mind?" Sakura asked, looking up from the papers. Hinata motioned to the table next to her containing the vase with the squashed flowers.

"Do you know who left these here?" she asked. Sakura shrugged.

"There were a lot of people in your room during your ordeal. I can't say for sure who left them, but I have an idea." Sakura said. Hinata nodded, sort of staring off into the distance. Sakura was about to wish her well and say goodbye when she spoke again.

"What happened to me?" Hinata asked. The question took Sakura by surprise.

"I..I'm not entirely sure. You were dead, Hinata. We worked on you for close to an hour, but there wasn't anything we could do. We pronounced you dead. Then Judo walked in and closed the door, and then next thing we know, you're alive and gasping for air on the floor." Sakura explained. Hinata nodded, staring out the window.

_So it wasn't just a dream…,_ Hinata thought. She remembered bits and pieces of the event, but part of her refused to believe what had happened.

"We ran some tests, but Tsunade is going to have to look them over. Why not ask Judo what he did? You'll be able to go home later this afternoon, so…" Sakura said, but realized that Hinata wasn't paying her any more attention.

"Well, get some rest. The orderly will be by with your release papers." Sakura said, turning and walking out of the room. Hinata turned back to the flowers, crushed but still beautiful, and let her mind wander until she found sleep.

_Great Forest_

"I believe this is the quietest I've seen you." Judo remarked as he and Naruto reached their training spot. Indeed, Naruto had been quiet since they left his apartment, and Judo had told him about his past and prior engagement with the Kyuubi. Millions of thoughts and questions ran through his mind, all begging to be asked at the same time, but with each question Naruto sought to ask, another that required an answer first popped in his head. Finally, Naruto couldn't take it anymore.

"Why?" Naruto blurted. Judo raised an eyebrow in question.

"If you are going to ask a question, you might want to make it more specific than that." Judo said, walking over to the river and splashing some water on his face.

"Why did you agree to do it? To take on the Kyuubi?" Naruto asked.

Judo sighed. "We went over this. I was selected to be the Kyuubi's handler because my persona reflected its own persona."

"I know, but did the god just show up at you're house and have a cup of tea? How did he select you, over someone else?" Naruto asked.

"I guess I didn't exactly explain that, did I?" Judo said, smiling. "You see, I was young and impetuous, kind of like you. When my time came to move onto the land of the dead, I fought it every step of the way. I refused to believe it was my time. Finally, the Death God took notice and gave me a choice. Either let my soul become one with his world or return as a member of the Nine and do his bidding. Naturally, I chose to live again."

"But if you and the Kyuubi got along so well, why don't you have it anymore?" Naruto asked.

"There were…others, who believed that it could be put to better use if they had control of it. But they needed it to come out fully and completely, and I normally would only let a small portion of it out. And so, they killed my entire family." Judo said, his voice shaking slightly. Naruto's jaw dropped.

"Your…family?"

"My wife and two children, murdered before my eyes. I couldn't hold the beast back, even if I wanted to. I unleashed everything I could on those that had wronged me, which was exactly what they were hoping for. They tore it from me and left me for dead, but I survived somehow. And I have sworn to deliver those that have betrayed the Death God onto his court for judgment." Judo said, becoming eerily solemn. He turned to Naruto, who had other questions but decided to wait for another time.

"Are you ready to begin your lesson?" Judo asked. Naruto straightened up.

"Yes, sir!"

"Alright, first things first. The Kyuubi is a being of emotion, meaning that it manifests whenever you are extremely upset or agitated. So the best way to counter this is to simply not get overly emotional about things." Judo explained. Naruto nodded, listening intently.

"Secondly, when and if you do lose your temper, the Kyuubi still needs you to be awake and alert in order to function. Therefore, it allows you to keep some of your awareness in order to remain awake. You must focus on this awareness, and learn to anchor yourself. This will be difficult at first, but with enough practice, you will be able to pull yourself out of the Kyuubi's grasp." Judo continued.

"How do I anchor myself?" Naruto asked, trying to envision himself throwing a mental anchor on the ground.

"The Kyuubi thrives off anger, does it not?" Judo asked, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Yeah…" Naruto answered.

"Then simply focus on peaceful things, or things that make you happy." Judo said. Naruto nodded his understanding, searching his mind for something that made him happy.

"Now, with those things in mind, you are going to try and remove yourself from the Kyuubi's grasp." Judo said.

"How am I going to do that?" Naruto asked. Before he could think, Judo made a quick series of hand seals.

"_Jougenzou no Jutsu."_ He said, and suddenly disappeared. Naruto stood still for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on.

"N-Naruto…" came a labored voice behind him. He spun to see Sakura lying broken and bloodied on the ground, several bruises and lacerations all over her body.

"You…didn't help us….Naruto…" she said, coughing up a small amount of blood. Naruto felt himself freeze, he looked up slowly, seeing all his friends and fellow villagers lying slaughtered in front of him. He began to move slowly as the horror crept from his feet to his spine, making his way through the mass of mutilated bodies. He recognized Shikamaru and Tsunade, both lying supine with their throats split wide, the life long since left their eyes.

"Wh-what is happening?" Naruto said aloud. "Shikamaru! Tsunade-sama!" He felt his mind racing, his emotions beginning to boil.

"Naruto-kun." A soft voice called, prompting Naruto to turn. He saw Hinata standing a few yards away, seemingly ignorant of the carnage around him.

"Hinata! What the hell is going on?" he yelled, motioning to the dead bodies.

"I don't want to die, Naruto-kun." Hinata said.

"What?" Naruto asked. Suddenly, he saw Hinata fall to her knees, and a man he didn't recognize grabbed her by the hair as she knelt, brandishing a _katana_ in one hand.

"Please don't let me die, Naruto-kun." She pleaded. Before Naruto could take action, the man grabbing her hair swung the blade quickly, severing her head from her shoulders and holding it aloft.

"You are weak, boy." The man said, bouncing Hinata's head in his grip and tossing it aside like a child bored with a toy. Naruto felt anger and hatred rush him like a tidal wave, and his vision narrowed and focused solely on the man who killed Hinata. He welcomed the power of the Kyuubi, and when he felt it reach its zenith, he charged.

Judo watched as the Kyuubi rapidly took over Naruto's body, with six tails protruding from it as it lunged for him. Judo formed hand seals quickly, dodging a swipe by the Kyuubi and slamming his palm into the forehead of the beast.

"_Kankiwamaru no Jutsu: Heiwa!" _Judo yelled, completing his technique.

The Kyuubi stared at Judo for a moment, before swiping him to the side with a tail, sending him crashing into a large boulder. Confusion and pain wracked Judo's body as he recovered.

_Great,_ Judo thought, watching the Kyuubi rage in place for a moment. It suddenly drew a large breath in, and Judo knew immediately what was going to happen, quickly forming hand seals.

"_Kekkai no In!"_ Judo said, slamming his palms on the ground. Immediately, a thin wall of transparent charka popped up in front of Judo and spread out just in time, as the Kyuubi released a stream of superconcentrated chakra at Judo. The stream struck the wall and held for a moment before utterly destroying the barrier and everything beyond it for some distance. When the dust had cleared, the Kyuubi stalked forward, sniffing for Judo's scent.

"_Fuuja Houin!" _Came Judo's voice, seemingly from nowhere. The Kyuubi heard it, but it was too late, as two hands shot from under the earth and grabbed the Kyuubi by its mane. The Kyuubi pulled back in defense, yanking Judo out of the ground and into the air, attempting to buck him. The grip that Judo had on the Kyuubi burned it tremendously, and it howled in rage. Judo clung to the mane, making sure the technique took hold this time, and soon he felt the raging Kyuubi begin to calm and settle down. It shrunk down in size rapidly, and Judo almost lost his grip on it as it slunk back into the form of Naruto. After leaving his grip on the now prone Naruto until he was sure that the Kyuubi had been repelled, he drug Naruto's limp form to a nearby tree and leaned him against it. Judo sat down next to Naruto, inspecting the damage to him. His _gi_ was ripped up, several lacerations covered his body and he was almost positive that his back would be giving him trouble for the next few days. The sound of slow clapping caught his attention as the familiar face of Jiraya appeared from the brush.

"Now THAT was a spectacular show." Jiraya said, walking over to Judo. "You've got to teach me that technique sometime."

Judo stood, stretching his back. "I'll trade you for the _rasengan_." Judo replied, a slight smile on his face.

"Deal." Jiraya said, clapping Judo on his back. Judo groaned, but took it in stride.

"I'm assuming that wasn't intentional?" Jiraya asked, motioning to the destruction caused by the Kyuubi's blast.

"To a degree. I was attempting to teach Naruto how to control the Kyuubi, but I didn't think I'd get him that riled up." Judo explained.

"Well, whatever you did, make sure you don't do it so well next time, hmm?" Jiraya said, laughing. Judo smiled slightly.

"May I ask what you're doing here?" Judo asked.

"Checking up on you and my pupil. I also wanted to thank you for saving me the other night. I'm actually on my way to try and get some more information about our enemies, but I can stay here if you need some backup…" Jiraya offered, motioning to Naruto.

"I would feel terrible if something were to happen to you, Jiraya-sama. I can only save your life so many times." Judo replied.

"Very well, then. Enjoy your day." Jiraya said, leaping off into the forest.

_I am getting far too old for this,_ he thought, turning his attention back to Naruto.


	20. The Gentle Way Ch 20

The sound of a slap and a sharp pain across his face woke Naruto from his sleep

The sound of a slap and a sharp pain across his face woke Naruto from his sleep. He tried to move, but every muscle in his being refused to acknowledge his brain's commands, and the best he could manage was a pitiful moan in his defense.

"Get up, Naruto. You're still training, remember?" Judo said, the sternness in his voice compelling Naruto to open his eyes.

"Uhh…What happened?" he asked, noticing the fresh wounds and the severely unimpressed look on his sensei's face.

"I'm not to sure, you tell me." Judo said. He reached down and hefted Naruto to his feet, though he was still wobbly. Judo leaned him against the tree and crossed his arms, awaiting an explanation.

"I…I'm not sure. I don't remember what happened…" Naruto said.

"You can't remember what happened because you didn't do what I told you to." Judo said, his blue eyes piercing Naruto's.

"I…" Naruto started, but Judo held up a hand.

"Naruto, before you pander your excuses, I'm going to tell you that, as someone who knows the Kyuubi more than he'd like to, I saw no semblance of self-control or anything when you changed. You simply gave yourself up to the Kyuubi without a second thought." Judo said. Naruto shook his head, trying to recollect what had occurred.

"I didn't even hear it." Naruto said.

"Or you didn't bother to listen." Judo replied, which drew a shrug from Naruto. "You need to be aware of it's whispers at all times. The Kyuubi is a poison, one that feeds off of your emotions. At the very least, if you cannot control the actual transformation, then you should be able to control the road the Kyuubi needs to take to transform you."

Naruto felt failure well inside him, and at the same time his determination waxed as well.

"What should I do?" Naruto asked, pushing himself off the tree and standing of his own accord.

"Tell me something that makes you happy." Judo said.

"Ichiraku Ramen." Naruto said after some thought.

"Well, that's a start. I'm going to draw your emotions again, Naruto, only this time I'm going to do it in stages. When you feel irrepressible anger or frustration, focus on your ramen. When you transform, always have that thought in the back of your head. That, we hope, is going to be your anchor. Do you understand?" Judo asked.

"Yeah, ramen! No problem!" Naruto said, his stomach growling.

"Here we go…" Judo said, forming a series of hand seals.

_Konoha Hospital_

"You're all set to go, Hinata." Tsunade said, checking over her medical file one more time. Hinata sat with her legs hanging over the cot, looking frail but in relatively good spirits.

"If you feel a prolonged weakness or any sort of sickness, I want you to come to the hospital immediately, understand?" Tsunade said.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Hinata said, her usual politeness in her voice. Tsunade smiled and cleared some of Hinata's bluish-purple hair out of her face.

"I want you to take it easy, alright? That means you can't train with Judo for a while, no matter how much her tries to make you." Tsuande ordered, drawing a slow nod from her patient.

"Hokage-sama…" Hinata said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes?" Tsuande asked, leaning close.

"Wh…What did Judo-sensei say about….about me?" Hinata asked, seemingly afraid of the answer.

"He told me that you were a good student, if somewhat shy." Tsuande smiled, running her fingers through Hinata's hair.

"Really?" Hinata asked, perking up visibly.

"Honest. Before he came to wake you he told me that you were making good progress, and you were a good student." Tsuande continued, seeing the effect on Hinata. Hinata's smile practically lit the dimming room.

"Now, remember to take it easy. Be sure to sign out with the front desk when you leave." Tsuande said, giving Hinata a pat on the head and leaving her to her thoughts.

Outside, the cooling evening air carried the scent of wild flowers, and Hinata looked down to the two crushed flowers she clutched to her chest. She didn't know who sent them, but her hopes and fantasies all pointed towards Naruto, although she couldn't fathom why they'd be crushed. She twirled them absent-mindedly, wondering what she was going to do for the next couple of days since she could train.

_Maybe Judo-sensei will let me come anyway,_ she thought, not wanting to spend any more time away from Naruto then necessary. She rounded the bend to her house, dreading the chastisement she would receive for not being around the house to do her duties. She knocked on the large gate to the front of her house, awaiting someone to let her in. The gate slid back suddenly, and Hinata was startled to see her father Hiashi. His face betrayed no emotion, and he held a backpack in his hand.

"Father, I…" Hinata started, but she was interrupted as Hiashi threw the backpack into her face.

"Do not speak to me, traitor! You are no longer deserving of the Hyuuga bloodline. Be gone." Hiashi exclaimed, slamming the gate. Hinata was shocked and confused, not understanding what had transpired. She quickly opened the gate again, seeing her father away.

"Father!" she said, running up to him. Again, she was stopped short as Hiashi turned, bringing his hand hard across her face, slapping her and knocking her senseless.

"You dare enter into my home? I should kill you right now, traitorous bitch!" Hiashi said, gritting his teeth. Hinata slowly recovered, tasting the blood in the corner of her mouth. She looked up at her father, shocked.

"Why…?" she asked, receiving another slap.

"You ask why? You KNOW why! Throwing in with the likes of Judo! And after he threatened your family, as well!" Hiashi picked Hinata's sobbing form up off the ground and carried her back to the gate.

"We provide everything for you, and not only can you try to become a decent _kunoichi_ and do the family proud, but you give our secrets away to our most hated enemies!" Hiashi continued, tossing Hinata out of the front gate, followed by her backpack.

"Father…" Hinata sobbed, feeling her mind and body weakening. Nothing was making sense.

"You are not my daughter any longer! If you come back to this place again, I will have no hesitations in killing you!" Hiashi said, slamming the gate and locking it. Hinata wailed outside of the gate, sobbing and begging on deaf ears to let her back in. Others heard the commotion, but kept walking, as very few individuals in Konoha would dabble in the affairs of the Hyuuga. After some time, Hinata picked up her backpack and made her way to the main street, leaving a trail of tears as she walked away from they family that cast her out.

_Great Forest_

"Get up! Again!" Judo urged, looking at the prone form Naruto. Naruto tried to get up, tried to do anything, but his body simply would not respond. The landscape around them had altered significantly, as boulders and trees were reduced to ash and the sands of the nearby lake turned to blackened glass. Judo sported several more wounds, one of which looked grievous, but still stood as calmly as if nothing had happened. Naruto managed to turn himself over, but failed at propping himself up on his elbow.

"Can't we end training for the night?" Naruto asked, heaving a sigh.

"I was under the impression that you liked to train." Judo said, working a bruised part of his shoulder.

"I do, but I don't think I have the energy to get mad at anything anymore." Naruto said. Indeed, Judo had done quite the job of drawing out Naruto's emotions, and though Naruto tried everything he could think of- ramen, learning new techniques, even Sakura,- he could not keep himself anchored, and gave way to the Kyuubi each time.

"Very well, then. We shall continue this tomorrow." Judo said. In truth, he was at his limit, having reduced the Kyuubi six times, with each time requiring more and more chakra to do so. Judo helped Naruto to his feet, draping an arm over his shoulder and allowing him to lean on Judo for support. They walked towards the village, the silence of the evening surrounding them.

"Judo-sensei…" Naruto said, breaking the silence of their walk.

"Yes?"

"You said that there were others that extracted the Kyuubi from you before, right?"

"Yes…" Judo responded, interested in the direction the conversation was taking.

"Was it Akatsuki?" Naruto asked.

"If they had a name, I was unaware of it. There were only two people who _I_ know of that were the brains of the whole operation. Why do you ask?" Judo explained.

"Well, a friend of mine, Gaara, used to have the Ichibi, until Akatsuki got a hold of him and extracted it from his being. It killed him, and he would still be dead if it wasn't for one of the elders of the Sand." Naruto said.

Judo shrugged. "The problem with the Beasts is that they are weapons of unimaginable power. Those who fancy themselves as practitioners of war constantly need to remain strong, and that means acquiring the most powerful weapons they can. It is never an easy job, carrying one of the tailed beasts."

"But do you think that it might have been the beginning of Akatsuki?" Naruto asked.

"I do not know. The extraction process is complicated and it takes very powerful _shinobi_ to pull it off. If this Akatsuki group is capable of doing such things, then it is all the more imperative that you learn to control the Kyuubi." Judo said. The walked in silence for a while until Naruto recovered enough to walk on his own. As they made their way to the front gate, only the guards seemed to be awake at the hour. Konoha resembled a ghost town, with barely more than the wind rustling the leaves to convince the duo that they weren't dreaming.

"I guess I'll be off." Naruto said, turning and bowing politely to Judo. Judo nodded his agreement.

"You may be troubled with dreams tonight, Naruto. If you are, I want you to try and remember them as best you can. They may help you in your training. Rest well." Judo said, and Naruto leapt up onto a nearby rooftop and bounded off to his apartment. Judo breathed in the night air, feeling tired but accomplished. As he turned to enter the Floating Leaf, quiet sobbing caught his ear. He listened for a moment, debating if he should investigate, and finally giving in. He followed the sound as best he could, eventually finding a young woman crying to herself in an alley.

"Miss, is everything alright?" Judo asked, keeping his distance but fearing the worst. A pair of lavender eyes looked up suddenly from behind dark hair, instantly locking eyes with Judo.

"Hyuuga." Judo said, a mixture of surprise and disappointment.

"Judo-sensei…" Hinata said, but she broke down into sobs before she could complete her thought. Judo moved closer to Hinata, standing over her crying form.

"Is there a particular reason why you're in a dark alley by yourself at this time of night?" Judo asked half-heartedly. Hinata's sobs intensified, and Judo was about to give up and go inside when she finally spoke.

"I…I'm sorry, Judo-sensei. They…my father…my family…they…disowned me." Hinata choked out, falling back into sobs. Judo absorbed the information, trying to make sense of it.

"They…disowned you?" Judo asked, squatting down to be eye level with Hinata. Hinata nodded, trying to control her sobs. Even without decent light Judo could see she had been weeping for some time.

"They…they said I was worthless and a traitor, and just….threw me out." Hinata explained. Judo couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew the Hyuuga were harsh, but to disown one's flesh-and-blood was simply intolerable to him.

"I tried….so hard to be…what they wanted me to be but…I just….I couldn't do it, no matter what I did." Hinata continued. "I guess I am worthless."

"You are not worthless, Hinata." Judo said, much to his own surprise as to Hinata's.

"I…I'm not?" she asked.

"No, you aren't. You may be worthless as far as the Hyuuga are concerned, but believe me, that's far from an insult. Quite the opposite, you should be glad you are no longer with them." Judo said, standing and helping Hinata to her feet. He could see that she was still weak from her hospital stay, as her legs wobbled as she tried to stand on her own accord.

"But they're the only ones I've known! I loved them!" Hinata said.

"Then I truly feel bad for you, Hinata, because they are undeserving of such emotions." Judo replied. Hinata looked up at Judo, not sure what he was trying to say.

"You…are not like the rest of your family, Hinata. In the short time I've known you, you have 'broken the mold' put forth by the rest of your ilk." Judo said, surprised again to believe his own words. "Even the one day of training that we've done, you came a long way. You're one of the only Hyuuga who can now rely on more than just their bloodline to accomplish anything."

Hinata sniffled, her tears drying slowly. "How do you know so much about my family?" Hinata asked softly. Judo chuckled slightly.

"Come, Hinata. I'll pay for a room for you, and we can talk more if you wish. Have you eaten?" Judo asked, turning and entering the hotel with Hinata in tow.


End file.
